One Piece Prompts
by XFangHeartX
Summary: Some word-themed drabbles showing the Straw Hats' bonds. Contains OC, some LuNa, some ZoRo, and others. Read and review, and no flames or hate, please.
1. Sickness

So, yeah...I decided to just go ahead and jump on the bandwagon. I just LOVE stories like these; ones that tell of the Straw Hats' bonds and routines and little things as a family unit. It's just...euphoric and heartwarming, I guess you could say.

So anyway, these will be completely random. There will be some minor ships, and there will be spoilers in some of them, so yeah...read at your own risk.

That being said, please enjoy!

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One Piece Prompts

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Sickness

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One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi © Me

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Summary- In which Aika is sick and the Straw Hats do whatever they can to take care of her.

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Chopper's ears twitch at the sound of raspy breathing behind him. He puts down his pen, which he used to scribble down notes, as he turns and sees the little six-year-old girl on the bed, a familiar lump of cream-colored fur curled up at her side. Her face is flushed pink and beads of sweat fall from her brow. She goes into a bout of coughing, thick with phlegm, before she rests her head on the pillow. Her long hair, once straight and flowing, is now tangled and messy with sweat and the drips of water coming from the damp rag on her forehead, used to lower her fever.

Chopper stares sadly before he turns back and continues his work.

Yesterday seemed to start out so normally…until they realized Aika did not show up for breakfast that morning. Luffy was the first to look for her, and he nearly panicked when he found his half-sister in her room, curled up under the covers with Kumi at her side, and hear her speak in such a weak, hoarse voice- a deep contrast to her normally cheery tone- he almost outright panicked. Nami managed to calm him down though before going to get Chopper, and Luffy stays with Aika, petting her head in assurance and trying to comfort her as best he could.

When he got her to the sick bay, Chopper gave her a quick checkup and found symptoms such as a sore throat, a fever of 102 degrees, wheezing when she attempted to breathe, and when she coughed, she managed to get out a bit of mucus, which was yellow, a sure sign of an infection. The doctor diagnosed her with acute bronchitis, telling the crew to let her stay in bed and rest for about a week.

When Luffy made that face of heartbreak and worry, Chopper felt his heart sink.

Speaking of Luffy, the Straw Hat Captain sat nearby on a chair he pulled in, watching his sister sleep. He reaches his hand out, his fingers brushing aside some strands of hair and sweat from her face.

"…Big…Brother…" she says in barely a whisper, and Luffy feels his heart clench. It hurt him, seeing his younger half-sister look so frail like this. He missed how the little wolf-girl would run around on the deck and frolic around on snowy islands in her animal form, laughing and yipping with delight as her faithful Akita puppy ran alongside her. Instead, she lies here, sick and in pain…and he hated it.

"Luffy…I gave her some medicine," Chopper told him. "I know it's hard, but you have to let Aika rest as best she can."

"…I want her better," Luffy spoke.

"I know you do," Chopper answered, "and I promise, she will be."

"Hey."

The two turn and see Sanji entering, holding a tray with a saucer in his hands. He remembers to put out his "cancer stick" before entering the room, knowing that Chopper prohibits smoking in the sick bay, especially with Aika's current condition.

Yesterday, Zoro was about to quip about how it might've been Sanji's smoking habits that caused Aika to fall ill in the first place, but he decided against it, knowing it wasn't the time or the place.

It didn't stop the swordsman from saying it in his thoughts, though.

"I got soup for Aika," Sanji said. "There's salt in the broth. It should help to soothe her throat." He then turned to the captain. "And you should eat something, too. You skipped dinner yesterday and I know you skipped breakfast this morning, too."

"How can I eat when my sister's sick?" Luffy asked, looking at Aika.

"I understand how you feel," Sanji said. "Still, you shouldn't starve yourself out of worry."

"Big Brother…" Aika rasped. "Please…go eat."

"But Aika-" Luffy started.

"I'll be okay," Aika reassured with a weak smile. "Just go and eat something…if you won't do it for Sanji…will you do it for me?"

Luffy paused as he stared at the child…until an angry rumble soon emitted from his stomach. The captain sighed, realizing his own hunger, before looking down at Aika and smiling.

"Sure, Aika," he said as he got up. "I'll go eat…for you."

With that, he headed out of the kitchen and into the galley. Sanji sighs and shakes his head before glancing at Aika and setting the tray down in front of her. Then, the cook promptly helps her sit up in bed, one hand rubbing comforting circles on her back as she coughs.

"Easy, there," Sanji tells her before he spoons some of the soup, blowing on it gently to cool it down just enough so it wouldn't burn her tongue, before he begins to feed it to her. Aika hummed a bit in an attempt to savor whatever tastes she could get from the broth before she swallows, and with her sore throat, it felt a bit painful. Still, Sanji helps her eat as much as she can and stops when it seemed like she was about to throw up, and when she finished the whole bowl, the cook would praise her.

"Well…I know you don't like it when people waste food," she told him, and Sanji feels his heart melt at how adorable and thoughtful she is.

He takes her plate out to wash it, but leaves her some water to drink, and he also leaves something for Chopper, and for Kumi, he leaves her food and water dish, knowing the pup would not leave Aika's side for anything. She was too loyal to think of anything else…not even her own well-being.

As Sanji goes out the door, he unwittingly steps on a white-furred tail, prompting a surprised and pained yelp from the Straw Hats' resident wolf-dog.

"Whoops!" Sanji cried. "Sorry about that, Blizzard."

Blizzard groans as he lies back down again. Normally, stepping on the canine's tail would cause him to engage in a chase, but now was not the time for one. For now, the white wolf-dog lies by the sick bay door to stand guard in case of any approaching threats, be it Marines or otherwise. Crew members were the only ones who were allowed access.

After lunch, Luffy attempted to return to the sick bay to sit with Aika again, but upon entering, he finds Zoro sitting in his place, instead. Luffy opens his mouth to speak, but the swordsman glances at him with his single eye. Not a single word is uttered. Instead, Luffy smiles and nods his head.

"I'll be back later," the captain said before walking out.

Zoro looks back at Aika, whose eyes are shut as she breathes. A few coughs causes her to unconsciously shift between her human and animal forms, but one more brings her back to her back to her human self.

"How're you feeling, Little Wolf?" Zoro asked.

"My throat hurts…and my chest does, too," Aika answers.

"I bet they do," Zoro said. "Still…you're a good kid, toughing it out and not complaining about it too much."

"Thank you," Aika smiled. "I try to be strong like Big Brother is."

Zoro can't help but chuckle, and Chopper and Kumi also crack smiles of their.

' _She really is Luffy's sister,'_ they all think.

After a while, Aika falls asleep, and Zoro leaves the sick bay to head outside, only to find that it is already sunset. He sees Luffy and Usopp sitting on the railing, fishing for supper, while Franky steers the ship. The sniper notices Zoro before nudging his captain gently and pointing to the swordsman. Luffy looks before setting down his fishing rod and running over to him.

"She's sleeping now," the swordsman tells him. "Leave her alone for a bit."

"Okay," Luffy said.

"I know you're worried about her, captain," Zoro started, "but she'll be fine…she's got us."

"…Yeah, I know," Luffy smiled, causing Zoro to lightly punch him in the shoulder, earning a laugh from the captain.

XXX

"Turn hard to port!" Nami's voice could be heard shouting. "Furl up the sails!"

The crew scrambles around the deck, following the navigator's orders as Franky tried to steer the _Sunny_ away from some very dark clouds…that rained scalding hot water.

"How the hell is this even possible?!" Usopp questioned.

"Don't question it!" Nami shouted. "It's the New World, idiot! NOW SHUT UP AND HELP LUFFY FURL THE SAILS!"

You couldn't blame Nami for yelling louder than usual. After all, such weather was extremely dangerous, especially now that one of their members is ill. As navigator, Nami had to do everything in her power to stay out of any dangerous weather conditions and islands, for fear that they would only make Aika's condition worse. Franky also knew that sailing into any harsh waters would only cause more stress for Aika, which is why he took on steering duty.

"Franky, turn the ship away from the clouds!" Nami shouted. "Turn the ship 45 degrees to port!"

"I'm trying, but it's not shifting!" Franky cried.

"Sanji, help him!" Nami ordered, but even before she shouted, the cook was already on his way to the helm to help the shipwright. They grunted as they tried to push the wheel as hard as they could, and just as it seemed they were about to sail right into the storm, the ship creaked as she began to slowly turn to the left, away from the clouds. Everyone felt their breath hitch, thinking the storm might follow, but as the distance between them and the clouds grew, it was at that moment that they all heaved a simultaneous sigh of relief.

"That was way too close," Zoro said.

"Good job, pointing that out, Nami!" Luffy called.

"Yeah," Nami said as she turned to see Chopper coming outside.

"How's your patient, Chopper?" Robin asked.

"She's still resting," Chopper said. "Her fever hasn't gone down yet, but the medicine I gave her should help."

"Good to hear," Luffy said. "We're counting on you, Chopper."

"S-saying like that won't make me happy, you dumb-ass!" Chopper said, wriggling about happily. Of course, this caused everyone to smile.

Nami, meanwhile, made her way to the sick bay, where she found the youngest member asleep on the bed, Kumi still curled up beside her. The pup raised her head, causing Nami to smile as she pet her head gently, then looked over at Aika.

"Hi, Big Sis Nami," Aika said, her voice still quite hoarse.

"Hi," Nami greeted softly.

"What was going on out there?" Aika asked.

"There was a storm that rained hot water," Nami answered. "We were about to sail right into it, but Franky and I managed to get everyone away from it."

"That's good," Aika said. "You're a great navigator, Big Sis Nami."

Nami smiled and ran her fingers through Aika's hair.

"Thank you, sweetie," she whispered. "Do you need anything?"

"Uh…I actually have to use the bathroom," Aika answered. "I've been holding it in for 30 minutes."

"Really?!" Nami asked in surprise. "O-okay, hang on, lemme get you outta here."

She then gently picked the six-year-old up and carried her off to use the toilet. About 10 seconds later, she was out, washing her hands, and then back in bed. Luffy was in the sick bay to sit with Aika not long after. Nami gives the captain a light kiss on the cheek before heading out to keep watch.

After a while, Luffy falls asleep in his seat while Chopper continues to work. Usopp enters as the captain snoozes before he sits on the bed with a smile, and Aika smiles back at him in greeting. As Luffy sleeps, the sniper regales the younger D. carrier with tales of his time on the Bowin Archipelago (leaving out the fact that he had grown rather…corpulent when he got there), how he fought off and tamed giant insects, such as a Hercules beetle and a tarantula, and braved jungles with carnivorous plants with his mentor Heracles. Aika listened with wide eyes of whimsy, and even Luffy and Chopper, the former having woken up, listened with awe, possibly because these were honest truths coming the usually lying sniper.

By the time Usopp had finished talking, Aika had fallen asleep, her mouth upturned in a dreaming smile. The sniper chuckles before he tiptoes out of the room. Blizzard still sits outside, guarding the sick bay door.

Outside, Brook softly plays the tune of Binks' Sake on his violin, the melody ringing throughout the ship, causing everyone to turn to the direction it came from.

"Just because young Miss Aika is ill," the skeleton said, "it should not mean she cannot enjoy a song. Yohohohoho!"

XXX

Nighttime again. Everyone lies in bed, sleeping the night away…except one.

Robin stands in the Crow's Nest on watch duty, keeping an eye out for any danger. In the sick bay, her clone sits on the bed, holding a book in her hands while Luffy stills sleeps in his chair and Chopper snores against his desk. The historian looks down at Aika, who is still sleeping, before she smiles and gently pets her head. She puts a red ribbon in between the pages of the book before closing it gently and getting up to put it back in the library. Once that's done, her clone disappears in an array of flower petals.

XXX

"Gum-Gum GATLING!"

Several pirates fall from the deck and into the ocean below. Luffy glares, dusting his palms before he senses another opponent. Turning around, he decks another pirate with a fast punch, knocking out a few teeth. All around him, he can hear the sounds of battle cries, gunshots, and the clanging of blades clashing.

One minute, the Straw Hats are enjoying breakfast, and the next thing they knew, they hear the all too familiar sound of a cannonball whistling through the air, followed by a humongous splash. Luckily, it didn't hit any part of the _Sunny_ , but the Straw Hats knew that they had to hurry and fight off the encroaching threat.

To these pirates, anyone not flying their flag was an enemy, and they'd take any one of them out…even Aika should any one of these scoundrels reach her.

A pirate screams as Zoro leaves a deep gash on his stomach, causing him to stumble over the railing before he falls into the ocean. Two more attempt to attack from behind, but several arms suddenly appear on their bodies, entangling them before they snap their spines in half. Zoro glances over at Robin, who winks at him with her arms crossed, causing the swordsman to nod at her gratefully before he rushes off to find another opponent to fight.

Nami grunts as she manages to push back another foe, and as one lunges at her from behind with spiked boxing gloves, the navigator turns around and, with her Sorcery Clima-Tact black with Haki, she slams him in the jaw and sends yet another pirate over the rail.

"Impact WOLF!" Usopp shouted, sending a giant, bushy wolf at some more pirates, which are sent flying after touching the bulb on its nose, and Franky stands with his back against the sniper's own, shooting other pirates with his Weapons Left attack.

"Blizzard SLICE!" Brook shouts as he sheathes _Soul Solid_ , leaving a frigid slash on a rather burly pirate wielding a spiked ball mace, and not too far away from him, Sanji kicks the brute off the ship with a blazing kick. Chopper, in his Kung Fu Point form, cries out wildly as he leaves a hoof-shaped bruise on the neck of his opponent, knocking him out within mere seconds.

As everyone fought their hardest outside, one had to wonder…who is guarding the sick bay?

In the kitchen, one lone pirate, who is either brave enough or stupid enough to sneak in here while the battle went on, snickers as he begins to make his way to the sick bay door. Although, he mistook it for some sort of storage room, and he was somewhat right. Either way, he was going to get whatever was in there…at least that's what he believed, but he was about to discover that he was dead wrong.

As the pirate was about to open the door, a deep growl suddenly sounds off behind him. As he turns…he soon screams as he feels a set of sharp fangs sink deep into his arm, snapping right through the bone. Had they gone any further, he was certain those fangs would've cut off his arm like a pair of scissors through paper. He is then tossed out like a rag doll, landing on one of his comrades. Luffy looks up at the kitchen, where he sees a familiar white tail slink back into the shadows within.

Blizzard growls in his throat as he licks the blood off his lips before he sits down against the door.

' _No way are those assholes gonna get passed me,'_ he thought.

In the sick bay, Kumi listens with pricked ears before she glances over at Aika, who continues to sleep, holding her favorite gray wolf plush, Timber, in her arms. She notices that the flush on the girl's face is of a lighter shade, now, and the Akita smiles warmly.

' _She's getting better,'_ she thought. _'It's only a matter of time, now.'_

When the fight was over, Chopper went back to give Aika a quick once-over…and imagine the crew's relief and joy when they heard that her fever had gone down, and that the worst was practically over.

XXX

Luffy yawns as he wakes up that morning, but as he looks over to the bed, he sees that it's empty. Gasping in surprise, the captain jumps to his feet and runs outside…only to stop when he is welcomed by a warm sight: Aika, in her wolf form, running around the lawn in a playful game of chase with Kumi while the Straw Hats sit around and watch them, smiling warmly.

Luffy sighs, his heart swelling with great joy as the sounds of Aika's jubilant laughter fills his ears, her voice now clears as a little bell and no longer congested and hoarse. He then puts on his signature grin before heading down the stairs to the deck and running to the wolf girl, who chirps as she runs up and jumps into his arms, thus causing him to fall on his back, and soon after, Kumi, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Blizzard, and Brook soon join the pile-up while Franky, Zoro, and Robin stand idly by with their amused grins.

Everything is alive again…now that Aika is well.

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Review, please!


	2. Routine

One Piece Prompts:

Routine

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One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, and Kumi © Me

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Summary- In which we see the Straw Hats' daily routine in the New World.

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5:58 am. The sun has barely risen and the sky is a deep blue. The _Thousand Sunny_ floats upon the ocean's surface. All is quiet…until there is the twang of a guitar, followed by screeching.

"BROOK! FOR GOD'S SAKE, THE SUN'S NOT EVEN UP YET! GO BACK TO SLEEP!"

Zoro throws his boot into Brook's skull, silencing the skeleton and buying everyone at least another hour of sleep.

6:58 am. Luffy still snores as he hugs his pillow, which is stained with drool. Nami still lies beside him, her ear canals corked shut with earplugs, as she dreams sweet, peaceful dreams of swimming in a mountain of gold…but the dream is soon interrupted as she feels a smaller body pulling itself up onto the bed and crawling towards her. The navigator smiles before opening one tawny brown eye and seeing the sweet smile of Aika greeting her. No words spoken, she pets the child's hair and kisses her gingerly on the forehead.

Aika giggles before she turns to her older half-brother before shifting into her wolf form and pouncing upon his shoulder. Luffy snorts as he wakes up, startled at first, but he sees the smiling face of his younger half-sister, and he grins as he proceeds to tickle her tummy in revenge for waking him up.

7:05 am. The Straw Hats begin to prepare for the day. They wash up via the bath or the shower, get dressed, brush their teeth, comb their hair, and wash their faces. Although, Luffy seems to forgo this, wanting to head to the kitchen for a pre-breakfast snack instead. Aika stops him, asking him to help her brush her teeth, since she is not tall enough to reach the mirror. The older D. agrees, holding the younger in his arms as she brushes back and forth and up and down for a good 3 minutes before she finally spits out the cinnamon-flavored froth into the sink.

7:30 am. Breakfast is ready: French toast topped with peach syrup and sprinkled with powdered sugar, as well as fried eggs on the side. Luffy only has about two, for he does not want to feel sick to his stomach for the rest of the morning. He gives what he has left to Aika, who happily eats whatever she can, and whatever is left, she secretly feeds to Blizzard and Kumi, who hide under the table as they wait for scraps to fall onto the floor. As everyone eats, Usopp tells Chopper a story of how he won the friendship of a rhino-like monster just by standing perfectly still, and Aika and Luffy are also amazed. Everyone else either roll their eyes or chuckle in amusement.

7:55 am. Breakfast is done, and Sanji is left to wash the dishes. Aika stays with him to help out, drying the dishes off for the cook and putting them in neat stacks. Once finished, Sanji rewards Aika with a cinnamon cookie before gently shooing her out to go play as he puts the dishes in the cabinet.

8:00 am. Nami begins work on her maps. She puts on her glasses and pulls her hair back into a ponytail before grabbing her quill and beginning to work. Robin quietly sits behind her, reading a history book, while she absentmindedly pets Blizzard's head, which is propped up in her lap as he snores softly. Sanji comes in to serve them coffee and fruit tarts for a snack (whilst keeping Luffy and Chopper away) before leaving after the girls compliment on his work.

8:25 am. As Nami still works, Luffy and Usopp try to fish for lunch, but mostly because they're bored. The only sound they hear is Aika's laughter as she runs around the lawn with Kumi playfully chasing after her, Zoro's soft snoring, and Brook tuning his guitar. Luffy yawns as he props a hand up and rests his chin in his palm, but no sooner does he do so that there's a tug on his fishing line, and soon, he is nearly pulled into the sea, had Usopp not been there to save him literally by the seat of his pants. Zoro immediately awakes upon hearing the sniper's shouts and is prepared to jump into action, even if it seems Usopp has things under control. As the captain and sniper pull, there is a humungous splash of water, and the duo fall down on deck, right on their backs.

They look up, and there's a giant sea king, glowering down at them. Usopp and Brook scream as they run to hide, and Aika and Kumi quickly take cover, too. Luffy grins as his arms are imbued with Haki, and Zoro stands beside him with swords at the ready. With a combined Jet Pistol and Ultra Tiger Hunt attack, the beast is felled, and Zoro cuts up as much sections of the monster's flesh as he can for Sanji to store.

The Straw Hats will eat good tonight.

9:00 am. Luffy gets hungry again and tries to sneak himself a snack. "Tries" being the keyword. He doesn't get far before Sanji catches him and shoos him out, telling him to wait until lunch, and leaving the captain to sulk. Aika comes in not long after, and at first, Luffy thinks she's trying to take advantage of her cuteness to appeal to Sanji's better nature in order to get herself a cookie…but as she comes out with two cinnamon cookies, she gives one to her brother, who smiles and pets her as he eats it.

9:30 am. Boredom comes around again, so Luffy decides to play a game with Aika and Kumi. Usopp and Chopper join in, as well. The captain gathers some water balloons, about an armful or so, and tells them that the last one who doesn't get wet wins. With that, the game was on. Luffy sits on the railing of the upper deck and tosses the water balloons without a single warning, leaving the four to scatter around, dodging. Aika and Kumi did pretty well with their dodging, the former being in her animal form as she ran around swiftly, while Usopp narrowly avoided getting hit. Chopper was the first to get splashed, however, but the little reindeer took his loss well. He even noted how refreshing it was on such a humid day.

As the game went on, Zoro came outside, but he was soon hit in the face by a stray water balloon. Growling in anger, the swordsman glared up at Luffy, who grinned sheepishly as he muttered a quick apology. Unfortunately, it did nothing to appease his wrath. Before he knew it, Zoro was on top of him with 3 swords drawn, and Luffy shrieks as he runs around the ship, with Usopp, Chopper, Aika, and Kumi standing aside so as not to be caught up in the pursuit. The captain soon cries out Nami's name, and the navigator, pulled away from her work by all the ruckus, comes outside and clocks Zoro on the head for chasing Luffy even though he apologized, and then she gently scolds Luffy for interrupting her.

She then promptly tells the mischievous group to clean up the mess on deck before going back to the library.

For the time being, no more games that involve water balloons, or anything else wet for that matter. Less chance of Zoro and Nami getting mad that way.

10:30 am. An island is within sight. Luffy and Aika start whooping and hollering (and howling in the latter's case) to get everyone's attention. Nami, having finished her map early, smiles at the opportunity to add one more to her map of the world, and since one of the needles of the Log Pose was pointing to it, anyway, she gives the okay to go ashore.

The island consists of mostly forest, with tall redwood trees and mountainous areas, a vast plain, as well as inhabited by butterflies and other insects. The D. Siblings, eager to explore, are the first to disembark, Sanji giving them both Pirate Lunchboxes made with the Sea King from earlier, and Kumi follows after them. Nami goes off with Robin to make measurements of the island so she can add it to her map. Zoro stays behind with Brook, Franky, and Sanji, guarding the ship, while Usopp and Chopper attempt to hunt for the local insects, the latter hoping to catch a Hercules beetle if he should happen to catch a glimpse of one.

Blizzard goes out to get some hunting done for Sanji, just to get some extra meat in storage so Luffy won't complain about there being no food.

11:24 am. The D. Siblings and Kumi continue their exploration after eating their lunchboxes. Luffy stands perched, surveying the horizon, but Aika dashes on ahead, eagerly, despite her older half-brother's warnings, and doing so prompts Kumi to follow her in an attempt to get her back, but not long after, Luffy hears Aika's piercing screams and a yell of "BIG BROTHER! HELP!", and following that is the screaming roar of a cougar.

It only takes that moment for the older D. carrier to switch into "Protective Big Brother" mode. Without any hint of hesitation, he leaps into action, jumping down towards the bottom of the hill and he lands with a loud **THUD!** As Aika and Kumi hurry passed him, the cat stops dead in his tracks upon seeing Luffy's deadly glare.

"Get lost," he hissed, and that is more than enough to send the cougar running back into the bushes with his tail between his legs.

Aika cheers before she runs up and hugs Luffy's leg, causing him to grin as he pets hers and Kumi's heads gently.

They decide to head back to the _Sunny_ for the time being.

11:45 am. Nami returns to the ship first, alongside Robin, and the latter is soon greeted by Zoro, who gives her a soft kiss on the cheek, prompting her to do the same in return, only for Blizzard, who is carrying a severed alligator's tail in his mouth, to come bursting in between them, and, being such a big dog now after the 2 years on Rusukaina, he almost makes Zoro topple over on his back.

"Damn dog!" Zoro barked, but the wolf-dog just continues on while holding the reptilian appendage in his jaws and carrying it to the kitchen, where Sanji waits. The cook praises the crew's guard dog for bringing such a good catch, even though the rest of it got away from him, and puts it in an icebox to preserve it for another time.

11:47 am. Nami is back in the library, about to add the island to her world map. Brook momentarily pops in with the usual question of "Miss Nami, may I see your panties?"

"Get out, Brook, before I break your jaw!"

"SO HARSH!"

And out he goes, leaving Nami to her work. Soon after, Aika comes in, she, Kumi, and Luffy having just returned. The Honshu Wolf Girl sets a rock, as black as night with sparkly mica in it, on the desk, claiming that she brought it to Nami as a present. Nami smiles as she picks Aika up and sets her in lap, giving her a small kiss of gratitude on her cheek before she continues her map.

"You can stay if you're quiet," she tells her.

Aika agrees, but Nami begins to hate the quiet and grows bored, so she asks Aika about what she and her brother saw during their little exploration around the island. The Wolf Girl answers that she saw a blue hedgehog with red sneakers, zooming through the forest, but by the time she got Luffy's attention, it was gone. Nami assured her it was probably just her imagination, but Aika remained firm to her beliefs.

"You really are your brother's sister," the navigator mused.

12:12 pm. Nami's finished her map, but she feels a bit of a numbness in her legs. She looks and she sees Aika, in Wolf Form, curled up on her lap, sound asleep. Nami sighed, but then smiled as she gently strokes her adopted little sister's hair.

As cute as it is, though, the navigator couldn't have Aika in her lap forever. She needed to stand up, but she couldn't bring herself to rouse the Wolf Girl out of her sleep. Who knows for how long she had dozed off?

"Lunch is ready~!"

Aika throws her head up, her eyes wide open and awake as she hears Sanji's voice.

"Lunch!" she cheers, and she soon bounds off, running out the library and into the kitchen. Nami sighed before she stood up, shaking her legs free of the pins and needles.

"Thank goodness for Sanji," she said before going to eat.

12:16 pm. Everyone is now in the galley, eating a finely prepared alligator tail steak with sliced sweet potatoes and cherry tomatoes on the side. Luffy doesn't eat the tomatoes, so he gives them to Nami instead. Aika, being the polite girl that she is, eats her vegetables without complaint.

Meanwhile, Blizzard and Kumi are eating their steaks as well, but the latter finds that she has finished hers already. The pup looks over at the wolf-dog's bowl, where his steak still lies intact, hot and steaming with the juices seeping out of the meat. Licking her chops, Kumi decides to take a chance and bites onto the steak. However, Blizzard soon notices her and bites on the other end, and soon, the dogs are in all-out canine-style tug-of-war, at which the others can't help but laugh.

Eventually, Blizzard is the victor, but he shows Kumi good sportsmanship and decides to share some of his spoils with her.

12:29 pm. Luffy is now taken a post-lunchtime nap, his stomach ballooned out to at least 5 times its normal size. As he snores, Aika, in her Wolf Form, is curled up on his belly, also fast asleep. However, her slumber is interrupted when she hears a small beckoning whisper. The child blinks her eyes awake as she looks up and sees Usopp and Kumi, holding cans of paint and brushes, big and small.

"Wanna help us give _Sunny_ a fresh new coat of paint?" asked the sniper.

Aika gasped eagerly before she jumps off her older half-brother's balloon belly, any sign of sleepiness instantly gone, as she goes to join them in the painting. Things seem to go well…but it turns out be a bit boring, too, so Usopp decides to spice things up a bit. He calls Aika over and- without warning- dabs a bit of red paint on her nose. Aika giggles before she dips her hands into the yellow paint and leaves a handprint on his right cheek. Kumi giggles as she watches from afar, but even she is not safe, for she soon finds herself being splattered with an array of various colors.

It soon becomes an all-out paint war. Reds, yellows, blues, oranges, and greens, spraying and splashing around the ship, decorating the walls, rails, rigging, and even the grass with various colors. Even Luffy, still in a food coma, is not safe from the rain of paint.

It's only until Franky comes outside and screams bloody murder that the paint-war stops. After a scolding, Usopp gets to work on cleaning while Nami takes Aika and Kumi for a bubble bath.

12:40 am. Aika and Kumi are now out of the tub and are romping around together out on deck while Blizzard lies in the shade, snoozing. However, the wolf-dog's ears perked up and twitched, and soon after, he raises his head up and growls viciously as he spots a Marine battleship heading towards them. He barks, alerting the rest of the crew to get into battle stations. He then gently herds the youngsters of the crew inside, so they can avoid danger.

With that, it's time to fight.

Luffy knocks out some of the soldiers with his Conqueror's Haki while he goes for the Captain while the rest of the Straw Hats go for the grunts. Nami attacks with her Thunder Trap while Zoro cuts them down swiftly with his blades. Usopp shoots the soldiers down, one-by-one with his Bamboo Javelin, just as Choppers mows down any others in his Horn Point form. Sanji roars with blazing fury as he sends the Marines flying off the ship with his powerful kicks. Robin uses her Clutch attack to break a spine or two…or several, and Franky stands back-to-back with Brook as he fires his Weapons Left and Brook cuts down any other Marine with his Blizzard Slice. Blizzard, meanwhile, bites down on any Marines' skulls with his Haki-imbued fangs.

Concurrently, Luffy does battle with the Marine Captain, who tries to cut him down with a cutlass, but the Straw Hat Captain easily avoids the swings of the blade with his Conqueror's Haki. He jumps back, imbues his arm with Haki, and swiftly decks his opponent with little to no effort at all.

With that single move, the battle is won, the Marines flee, and the Straw Hats take their leave.

1:07 pm. The Straw Hats still can't take the time to relax, even after that little scuffle, for Nami has predicted that a giant cyclone was headed their way. The wind picks up, and the Straw Hats scramble to keep the ship stable. Luffy and Blizzard try their damnedest to furl up the sails while Sanji steers the ship. Robin, using her powers, tries to tie down anything would break or shatter with help from Usopp and Brook. Chopper does his leveled best to keep his medicine from falling out of the cabinet, as well as Zoro, and down below deck, Franky keeps his cola from spilling everywhere. Aika and Kumi are forced to stay inside to keep from getting swept up in the powerful wind outside.

1:14 pm. 7 long minutes later, after using a Coup de Burst to escape, things have finally begun to calm down. Luffy takes a moment to comfort his sister, who was a bit shaken up by the storm. Blizzard does the same with Kumi, lightly licking her face to keep her calm.

1:30 pm. The crew arrives at another island, and this one has a town this time, and it just so happens there's a fair going on. Aika excitedly pulls on Luffy's sleeve and points to the Ferris wheel, shouting "Let's get on it, Big Brother!"

Not one to disappoint his little sister, Luffy agrees to take her, and even Nami and Kumi come along. They get themselves a few snacks on the way, such as fried noodles, cotton candy, and some takoyaki.

As they get arrive at the Ferris wheel, they find there's still a car left, so they soon get on board. The youngsters smile in awe as they watch everything from the window, while Nami leans on Luffy's shoulder with a tired smile. The Straw Hat Captain smiles before putting his arm around her and kissing her forehead lightly.

1:45 pm. The ride was over, and Nami yawned as she stepped off with Luffy's help, the navigator having dozed off a bit.

They soon met up with Usopp, who had won Chopper a prize for knocking over dolls: a glow-stick, and then with Zoro, who was playing a game of ring toss and won a prize for Robin: a plush doll that looked like a girl in a rather revealing dark blue sailor suit uniform for school girls, and the suit itself seemed to have some kind of a scar over its "eye". They later found Sanji and Franky, both having gotten off a roller coaster ride, but the former seemed rather shaken, and after that, they found Blizzard, who was watching Brook singing and playing a song for a crowd of children.

Having had their fun, the Straw Hats decide that it's time to go, so they all boarded the ship and set sail.

2:00 pm. Nami is back in the library, drawing another map. She feels a bit bored, though, so she gets up to go see if Aika wanted to do anything with her. Even after such an eventful time at the fair, earlier, the 6-year-old was always such a bundle of energy, probably even more so than her brother. As she goes outside, she sees Aika braiding Blizzard's fur and even tying little ribbons into it. This time, she used blue ribbons instead of red ones.

Ever the patient one, Blizzard just lies on the deck, whimpering in humiliation.

Nami smiles at them before her face lights up, having gotten an idea. She calls Aika over and then takes her to the vanity in hers and Luffy's room. The captain wasn't in there, right now, more than likely sitting on the figurehead outside. Nami sits Aika down on the chair, and then carefully brushes her hair. It's a bit tangled, and the pull from the bristles hurt a bit, but Aika doesn't fidget. After Nami gets out the tangles, she ties Aika's hair up in a little bun and even sets it in place with hairpins. The one thing she doesn't remove is the wolf girl's precious light blue butterfly hairclip. Instead, she sets some other burettes, ones with pink hearts, on the other end.

Aika laughs, loving her new hairdo, before she switches places with Nami so she can do her hair next, but she found it a bit harder than she thought, due to the navigator being older and taller than her. Nami leaves for a moment, but then comes back with a chair for Aika to stand on so she can reach her head better. Then, the girl proceeds to brush the navigator's head, gently pulling out any tangles and knots. Then, she parts it, braiding the gorgeous orange locks into two long pigtails, tying them with pretty yellow ribbons, and for a final touch, she puts a yellow flower burette into the right side of Nami's hair.

Then, Robin enters the mix, having wondered where Nami went off to. Upon seeing the historian, Nami grins as she sits her down in front of the vanity mirror with Aika sitting in Robin's lap. Then, Nami ever so gently brushes the older woman's long, black locks, and even adds a little bit of oil at the top for a bit of shine. Then, Aika slips colorful beads on a couple of strands, mostly purple, pink, and lime green while Nami ties up the rest in a ponytail.

Satisfied, the girls decide to go out and show their new hairstyles to the rest of the crew, who, needless to say, were quite impressed…some more than others.

"Pick up your jaw, Luffy, it's on the ground."

"Yours is, too, Zoro."

"Oh, shut up, Usopp!"

This only earned a good laugh from everyone.

2:26 pm. Luffy is bored again, so he decides to pester Sanji for a snack, again. As he gets into the kitchen, he sees Sanji and Aika, decorating a cake, frosted white and flowers with purple icing. Aika can't help but sneak a taste of the icing, though, to Sanji's amusement. The cake is not meant to be eaten until tonight, for dessert, but Sanji thanks Aika for helping him bake it, anyway and gives her a cookie as a reward. Aika leaves, but split's the cookie in half and gives one half to Luffy before heading back out.

2:35 pm. Zoro wakes up from his second nap and gets up to get himself a drink, but as he's walking passed various crew members, he can hear them snickering behind his back for some reason. When he gets to the kitchen, he sees his reflection in the porthole window…and practically yells in horror upon seeing various doodles drawn on his face, consisting of a red swirl-y sun, pink paw prints, and green polka dots. Not long after, he hears the laughter of Luffy, Aika, and Blizzard going on in the background, and with that, the swordsman chases them around the deck, leaving them to scream in fright…well, Luffy laughed, Aika and Blizzard were the ones who were screaming.

Again, Nami is pulled away from her work to berate not just Zoro, but Luffy and Blizzard for setting a bad example for Aika.

3:00 pm. Nami has finished adding another island to her map, but now feels rather tired. She yawns and stretches her arms before she gets up and goes outside, only to see Luffy snoring as he lies on Blizzard's right side. The navigator smiles as she approaches the snoozing captain, and then she lies down beside him, her arms wrapped around his torso. As if he knew, Luffy positioned himself so that Nami lied on his chest, making a small sigh as he did so. Blizzard, having been stirred by the navigator's appearance, smirked at them before continuing his nap.

3:25 pm. Naptime is interrupted by small whimpering noises. Luffy wakes up and he is soon met by his sister's teary-eyed face. Upon seeing them, Luffy is immediately on full alert and asks what's wrong.

"I can't find Timber…!" Aika answers with a sniffle. "I looked all over the ship for him, Big Brother!"

Luffy looked at Aika worriedly, chewing his lip in concern. He knew how much Aika loved her gray wolf plush doll, Timber, and if she couldn't find him…

"Um…Aika, I'll be right back," he told her before he walked off. After 10 minutes, he returned, holding a light blue plush monkey with a sand-colored mouth, face, and tummy.

"Isn't that your plush monkey, Bananas?" Aika asked. "The one that Big Sis gave you?"

"You can have him," Luffy said. "I don't need him anymore."

"Really?" Aika asked, and Luffy nodded, a gentle smile on his features. The Honshu Wolf Girl smiled back before taking the blue monkey in her arms. Its shiny beady eyes look up at her with a smile stitched with black thread. She smiles before cuddling the plush primate, and then looks up at Luffy before going up and hugging his leg, prompting him to pet her gently on the head.

4:00 pm. Nami is now in the bathhouse, about to take a nice relaxing bath. Plus, she wanted to try out some new bath salts she got from an island the crew had docked at yesterday. Once the water is ready, she undresses and takes a dip in the tub. The navigator sighs as she feels the stress of the day melt away from her body, but as she looks up, her eyes suddenly go wide…for Brook's soul is hovering over her, a droplet of blood trickling out of his nostril.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAA~! BROOK, GET OUT, YOU PERVERT!"

With a shriek, Brook flies of with Nami's bath time ruined.

5:00 pm. It's almost sundown, and dinner should be prepared soon, but Sanji's hit a big of a snag: the oven overheated making the cake from earlier and blew out a bulb, meaning that the cook had no way to prepare the meal he was going to make tonight until Franky bought a replacement bulb.

"But what are we gonna eat for dinner?!" Luffy asked, his stomach growling right on cue.

"Maybe we'll find another island and eat there," Nami suggested.

"But who knows how long that will take?" Usopp asked. "And even if we do land, the island might not have the bulb Franky's looking for!"

"Well, we can't just sit here and do nothing," Sanji said. "I can't let everyone go hungry."

"I can already feel my stomach rumbling," Brook chimed in. "Ah! But I don't have a stomach! Yohohoho!"

"Hey, Blizzard?" Chopper asked. "You don't think that Luffy is gonna eat us, do you? I mean…he does get that way."

" _I don't think so,"_ Blizzard answered. _"Luffy gets desperate for food, but not that desperate."_

"Hey!"

Everyone looked upon hearing Zoro call out to them from the Crow's Nest.

"Aika and I spotted a small ship off starboard!" the swordsman exclaimed.

"What's it look like?" Robin asked.

"It's kinda far to see," Aika started, "but all I know is that the sails have the number 8 written on it!"

"Number 8?" Nami repeated.

"Maybe we should get a closer look," Brook suggested.

"Can't hurt to try!" Luffy added. "Let's go check it out!"

And so they did, and as they drew closer to the ship that Zoro had found…imagine their surprise: it was the _Takoyaki 8_ , with Hachi, Camie, and Pappug.

"Whoa!" Luffy exclaimed. "It's you guys, again!"

"Camie, dear~!" Sanji swooned with hearts in his eyes.

"Straw Hat!" Hachi greeted.

"Luffy-chin!" Camie cheered.

"Well, aren't you all a sight for sore eyes?" Pappug asked.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Nami asked. "Hachi, I see you've recovered nicely since that little mishap on Fishman Island!"

"Nyuu~! Thank you, Nami!" Hachi answered. "It's so good to see you!"

"What are you all doing way out here?" Robin asked.

"Ah, we just thought we'd get the ol' _Takoyaki 8_ running again," Pappug answered. "You know, a business trip and all that stuff!"

"What a coincidence," Sanji said. "Our oven broke down and I don't have any way of making dinner tonight."

"Ooh!" Luffy exclaimed. "That means takoyaki for dinner, right?!"

"What do you guys think?" Hachi asked, turning to his two partners. "Should we fire up the grill for our old friends here? Nyuu~!"

"Of course!" Camie answered.

"Do you even need to ask?" Pappug asked. "Let's do it!"

"WHOO-HOO!" Luffy cheered. "All right! Takoyaki for dinner!"

And so, the Takoyaki Trio got to work in cooking. As they did, Aika snuck behind the grill to get a good look at Camie and Hachi. It was her first time seeing an actual mermaid and Fishman, so she was naturally curious. She approached Camie and spoke with her, and the two hit it off rather well…but then, during her little chitchat with Aika, Camie had accidentally left part of the grill unattended, causing her to burn some of the takoyaki.

"AAAAAAHH~!" Camie screamed with her comical shock face. "I GOOFED AGAIN!"

"I'm sorry!" Aika cried. "I didn't meant to distract you!"

"I'll just eat the burnt ones! It's fine!" Sanji reassured.

5:38 pm. Everyone has finished eating and are now taking the time to bask in the warmth of their full stomachs…some more than others.

Luffy lies on the deck, once again bloated to the point where he looked like big puffer fish, and Aika and Kumi just can't resist the temptation of jumping on his belly. Hell, even Usopp and Chopper join in on the fun, to everyone's humor. Nami has a brief thought of charging her crewmates to use her fiance as a trampoline, but ultimately decides not to.

After all, that's not who she was anymore…most of the time, anyway.

6:00 pm. The Straw Hats say their goodbyes to Hachi, Camie, and Pappug and continue on their way. Thanks to Hachi, Franky got a replacement bulb for the oven. Too full from dinner, the Straw Hats decided to skip having the cake that Sanji made, but the cook assured them it would be okay for them to eat it tomorrow.

As they sail on, Aika suddenly lets out a squeal of delight, causing everyone to gather around her and see that she is holding her beloved wolf plush, Timber, whom Kumi had sniffed out earlier. It turned out that she was riding on the _Shark Submerge III_ yesterday and accidentally left him in there when she got sick, again.

"Now that I found Timber," Aika started, "you can have Bananas back if you want, Big Brother."

"Nah, Aika," Luffy answered. "When I said you could have him, I meant it."

Aika smiled before she went up and hugged her brother, who ruffled her hair affectionately.

"About time you decided to get rid of that stupid thing," Zoro spoke up, only to earn a swat to the head from Nami. "Ow!"

"Oh, shut up," Nami said. "I didn't even hit you that hard."

6:45 pm. The sun had almost completely set. The sky was now a violet-orange color, and the stars had just begun to appear. The _Sunny_ drew closer to an island's shoreline, which was covered in a thick blanket of white, powdery snow. Aika gasps happily upon seeing it and was eager to jump right in, but Luffy told her it was almost time for bed, so she didn't have time to play in the snow.

"Aww, Big Brother~!" the younger D carrier complained. "Please? Just 10 minutes!"

Luffy is about to object…but once again, he falls prey to Aika's secret weapon: her Puppy-Dog Eyes of Unimaginable Adorableness. One would have to have a heart of stone to be able to withstand such cuteness.

Luffy relents, and Aika transforms into her Wolf Form before jumping into the snow with Kumi and even Blizzard following after, the Canine Trio romping about in the cold, white powder. Eventually, even the Straw Hat Captain cannot resist and jumps on in with them, laughing as Aika chases him playfully, and before too long, Usopp and Chopper join the fray. The rest of the crew can't help but smile in amusement…until Franky speaks up.

"Uh…I'm not really worried about Little Sis, Snowy, Reindeer-Gorilla, and the pup, but…you think Luffy and Usopp will realize they don't have coats on?"

As if on cue, Usopp and Luffy start shivering and holding each other for warmth.

"COLD!" they cry out, causing Blizzard to laugh.

7:25 pm. It's time for lights out. Franky lowers the anchor and moors the ship to a tree root on the island. Zoro yawns as he goes into his and Robin's room. Usopp is keeping watch tonight, so he goes up into the Crow's Nest. Sanji, Brook, and Franky go into the Men's Quarters, and Nami takes Aika and Kumi into the bathhouse, giving them a nice, lukewarm bath to take away the chill of the winter air and wash off any dirt and grime from the day. Once cleaned and dry, Aika puts on her pajamas and yawns.

Luffy takes over, bringing his younger half-sister into his arms and carrying her off to her room while Nami follows with an already snoozing Kumi. The two enter the young pirate's room and lay both Aika and Kumi down on the bed. Luffy tucks Aika under the covers and kisses her forehead, and after exchanging their goodnight, he and Nami turn off the lights and leave.

The captain himself yawns as he climbs into his and Nami's bed, all his seemingly endless energy just melting away and replaced with tiredness. He pulls off his cardigan and tosses it haphazardly on the floor before he just flops down on his pillow, not bothering to put the blanket over himself. Luckily, Nami is there to cover her fiance up for him, and not long after, she cuddles up to him, her arms wrapped around his chest, her fingers unconsciously tracing the X-shaped patch of burned flesh. Luffy puts his hand on hers, smiling at the warmth of her body.

"…I love ya, Nami."

"I love you, too, Luffy…goodnight."

With that, all of the Straw Hats are now sound asleep, resting up for whatever the next day brings.

It was all routine for the Straw Hats…expecting the unexpected.

* * *

I do not remember when I started on this one. I know it was last year, though...maybe in November. XD

Anyway, review please!


	3. Nightmare

One Piece Prompts:

Nightmare

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, and Kumi © Me

* * *

Summary- In which Luffy has a nightmare and the Straw Hats do what they can to help.

* * *

Night on the _Thousand Sunny_. The sea was calm, the night air was peaceful, the stars twinkled in the sky. Everything was right with the world…almost everything.

It all started when Nami was sleeping in bed with Luffy…but as she shifted to one side of the bed, instead of the warmth of her captain's body, she only felt the silk sheets, ruffled and slightly damp with sweat. The navigator blinked her eyes awake, her vision blurry in the dark, but as she turned on the lamp next to her, she gasped upon seeing that Luffy's space is empty. She gasped in surprise before looking around, but tried not to panic.

' _Maybe he just went to use the bathroom,'_ she thought as she got out of bed, put on her robe, and headed out the door. As she did, a certain white wolf-dog, roused from his sleep by Nami switching on the light, followed after her.

' _What's Luffy up to, now?'_ he thought.

Nami stopped at Aika's bedroom, first, just to be sure on something. She opened the door a crack to peer inside. She saw Aika, lying in her bed, asleep, with Kumi curled up in her own bed next to her, and the various stuffed animals and toys lying around the room.

"Not in here," Nami whispered.

"Mmm…Big Sis…?"

The navigator gasped silently upon hearing that soft voice as Aika sat up, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Oh, Aika, I'm sorry, honey," Nami said. "I didn't mean to wake you. I was just looking for your brother. Did he come in here, earlier?"

"Yeah, before I went to bed," Aika answered. "Remember? He tucked me in and-"

"I'm not talking about at bedtime, Aika," Nami corrected. "I meant like a few minutes ago."

"Oh," Aika realized. "Uhh…no. Do you want me to help you look for him?"

"Oh, Aika, it's okay," Nami said. "You don't have to. Just go back to sleep, all right?"

"But I'm awake, now," Aika answered. "So is Kumi."

The pre-mentioned Akita pup yawned as she sat up.

"Well, okay," Nami said. "Come on."

Aika pushed the covers off of herself and followed after Nami with Kumi padding along after them.

Soon, the girls and Blizzard made it outside to the deck, looking around for their captain.

"Where could he be?" Nami asked, looking around, only to find nothing but the lawn. However, she noticed that one of the doors leading to the toilet was open, so perhaps Luffy was in there for…or it could've been Brook, too. Even he had to use the toilet, once in a while.

"Big Brother?" Aika called out, but not too loudly. She didn't want to wake everyone else up, after all.

" _Hey, Luffy? Where are you?"_ Blizzard asked. _"You hear me?"_

" _Boy, if I didn't know better,"_ Kumi started, _"I'd almost think Luffy doesn't wanna be found."_

As Nami looked around, she suddenly heard a small sniffling sound.

"What in the…?" she whispered before she headed to the figurehead, Blizzard, Aika, and Kumi following after her. There, they found the very man they were looking for: Luffy, sitting on the figurehead, staring out towards the horizon, his arms wrapped around himself.

"Luffy?" Nami asked in concern, causing the Straw Hat Captain to jump slightly in surprise as he turned to face her.

"Oh!" he exclaimed. "H-hey, Nami."

Nami gasped silently upon seeing what looked like dark circles under the captain's eyes, as well as small tear stains.

"Luffy…have you been crying?" asked the navigator.

"N-no," Luffy lied. "What makes think I was crying?"

"Luffy, I can see it all over your face," Nami argued. "What's wrong?"

"…It's nothing, okay?" Luffy replied.

"Luffy, I'm serious!" Nami chided. "Don't you try to lie to me because I know when you're lying!"

"Nami, I-" Luffy started, but then Aika appeared next to Nami.

"Please, tell us what's wrong, Big Brother?" Aika asked. "Please?"

A pause…but then Luffy sighed.

"…I…I had a nightmare," he said.

"What?!" Nami questioned. "Oh, no…was it about Ace, again?"

"…For once, not this time," Luffy answered.

' _Well, that's a relief,'_ Nami thought. _'Still…I wonder what he dreamt about, this time.'_

"What happened, Big Brother?" Aika asked, worming her way into Luffy's lap.

"…Oh, Aika," Luffy said, petting her head gently. "It might be too much, even for you."

"Luffy, you can't just keep this bottled up inside," Nami urged. "It'll be best if you told somebody."

Luffy only sighed in response, causing Nami to knit her brow in slight frustration, but she wouldn't give up.

"Aika," she said. "Can you take Luffy to the Aquarium Bar?"

"Okay," Aika answered before she took her older half-brother by the hand and led him off to the Aquarium Bar while Kumi waddled along after them.

"Blizzard," Nami said to the wolf-dog. "I need you to help me wake the others."

 *****Timeskip brought to you by Hawk the Pig (from The Seven Deadly Sins) eating scraps*****

Luffy sat in the Aquarium Bar with Aika, who was eating a macadamia nut cookie that Sanji had made earlier today. Kumi sat at the captain's feet, looking at him worriedly and even whimpered as she rubbed her face against Luffy's ankle, prompting him to gently pet the pup on her head.

Just then, Nami came in, along with Blizzard, Zoro, Sanji, Robin, Usopp, Franky, Brook, and Chopper.

"Guys?" Luffy asked. "What's going on?"

"You, that's what," Sanji answered. "Nami says you had a nightmare."

"Nami, you had to tell everyone?" Luffy asked. "Seriously, it's no big deal."

"'No big deal', my ass," Nami countered. "Luffy, we know something's bothering you."

"Yeah, Luffy," Usopp added. "You always helped us whenever we had nightmares. Why can't we help you?"

"I'm the Captain," Luffy answered. "You guys aren't supposed to worry about me. I'm supposed to worry about all of you."

"I call bull," Zoro spoke up. "That's completely asinine and you know it."

"Zoro," Robin chided.

"No, Robin," Nami said. "For once, Zoro's right."

"It would do you some good to talk about your nightmare, Mister Luffy," Brook said.

"It's fine," Luffy answered.

"Here," Sanji said as he put something in front of Luffy: a plate with a slice of cake and a fork to eat it with. "Maybe a snack will help you out."

"…I am a little hungry," Luffy admitted as he took a bite.

"At least that hasn't changed," Franky said.

" _You wanna talk, now?"_ Blizzard asked.

"…Not really," Luffy answered.

"Luffy, it's okay," Robin assured. "You can tell us. Really."

"You know we're not trying to judge you, man," Franky added.

"You'll feel better when you tell us," Chopper piped up.

"Please, Big Brother?" Aika asked. "Pretty please?"

" _Yeah, just tell us so we can go back to sleep,"_ Kumi added.

" _Kumi!"_ Blizzard scolded.

" _What?!"_ Kumi asked. _"It's 2 in the morning and I'm tired!"_

"I had a nightmare about you guys."

Everyone looked at the captain in surprise as he spoke up, looking at his empty plate as he gripped his fork.

"About us?" Nami repeated, concerned.

"…Akainu was there," Luffy said. "He attacked us…out of nowhere."

Aika whimpered fearfully upon hearing those details, not that anyone could blame her. Her memories of Akainu weren't exactly pleasant either. Still, she decided not to say anything, for right now, her brother was what mattered.

"Well…you fought back, right?" Franky asked.

"I…I couldn't," Luffy said, his breathing beginning to hitch. "Akainu…in my dream, he was…he was huge, okay?! Like taller than Mingo! It was like he was rose out of the sea!"

"What?!" Nami questioned.

"I tried everything…but nothing fazed him!" Luffy continued. "Then…I dunno…I just froze…and one-by-one…he took you all out. He melted you all down with his magma powers, just like he did to Ace! And then…then…he turned on me…!"

"…And that's when you woke up," Nami realized.

"Y-yeah," Luffy answered.

"Has this…happened before?" Usopp asked.

"…It's been going on for couple of weeks, actually," Luffy answered.

" _That long?!"_ Blizzard questioned. _"Luffy, you should say something when you've been having nightmares for that long! What's wrong with you?!"_

"Blizzard, take it easy on him," Chopper said.

"I don't get it, though," Zoro said. "Why didn't you fight back?"

"…Because I was afraid," Luffy answered.

"Afraid of Akainu?" Robin asked.

"Yeah," Luffy replied, his voice beginning to break. "Guys…when I last saw him, two years ago…he was lunging right at me. If Ace hadn't been there…he really would've killed me." He then gripped his head. "Guys…I don't just hate Akainu…I'm absolutely terrified of him!"

"…Oh, Luffy," Nami whispered.

" _Now I know I'm gonna kill Akainu,"_ Blizzard hissed.

"Luffy, relax," Zoro said, putting his hand on his captain's shoulder. "It was just a dream."

"That's what I said when I dreamt about Ace's death, but that happened anyway!" Luffy shouted, his eyes stinging with unshed tears. "This time, it could be different…Akainu may not be able to turn 10 feet tall, but dammit, that doesn't I can't be afraid! What if I actually do freeze up when I see Akainu again?! You could all die…because I was too scared to protect you!"

On that, the Straw Hat Captain broke down in tears, causing everyone to look at him worriedly. To see their captain, the one who always fought hard to protect them and their dreams, the one they believed would become the next Pirate King break down crying like this…it was more than enough to break their own hearts.

Without a single word, Aika crawled up into Luffy's lap and wrapped her arms around him, causing him to embrace her in return. Kumi and Chopper also followed her lead, sitting in the captain's lap and worming their way into the hug. Blizzard whined as he placed his head on Luffy's knee while Nami hugged Luffy from the right side and Robin hugged from the left. Zoro had one hand on the captain's head, Sanji placed his hand on Luffy's left shoulder and Usopp laid claim to the right shoulder with his palm. Finally, Franky embraced the group from behind while Brook took the front.

"What am I gonna do?" Luffy asked, hiccupping. "W…what am I supposed to do?!"

"…Look, Luffy," Zoro said. "We don't know what'll happen…but we know this much: you won't just sit by, pissing your pants when one of us are in danger."

"But-" Luffy started.

"He's right," Sanji spoke. "It won't happen…because we all you know you won't let it happen."

"Luffy, you might be afraid of Akainu," Nami began, "but you can't let him see that."

"If he sees that you're afraid of him, then you let him win," Usopp added. "It's the very thing he hopes for."

"Maybe you are afraid of him," Robin began, "but that doesn't mean you won't fight back when the time comes."

" _We've seen how you are,"_ Blizzard chimed in. _"No matter how scared you get, you always manage to push away your fear and strike back."_

"Yeah!" Aika exclaimed. "You're the bravest Big Brother, ever!"

"…You guys really think so?" Luffy asked.

"We know so!" Franky answered. "Trust us, Akainu will think twice before messing with us."

"That's right!" Brook declared. "We know that if he makes any attempt on us, you'd be right there to defend us in a heartbeat!"

"Don't be afraid of him, Luffy," Chopper said. "Okay?"

A pause…but then Luffy smiled.

"Thanks, everybody," he said. "Seriously…I don't know what I'd do without you."

"We don't always need protecting, Luffy," Nami replied.

" _Yeah!"_ Kumi agreed. _"Sometimes, we have to protect you, too!"_

"Shishishishi!" Luffy laughed at this.

"We'll always be here for you, captain," Sanji said. "Just like you'll always be here for us."

"Don't forget that, all right?" Robin asked.

"I won't," Luffy answered. "Never again."

"So you ready to go back to sleep now?" asked Zoro.

"Ooh!" Aika chirped. "I have an idea!"

 *****Timeskip brought to you by Ban and Meliodas fighting*****

Later, everyone has gathered in the Aquarium Bar, sitting on cushions on the floor and curled up under their blankets. Aika suggested that Luffy might sleep better if he was surrounded by the things he loved…or in this case, the crew he loved.

"This was a very nice idea, Aika," Nami said, causing the young D. Carrier to giggle.

"Is everyone comfortable?" Robin asked, and the only response she got was Zoro snoring.

"That's a yes," Sanji smirked, causing everyone to laugh softly, but then Luffy yawned.

"Well…goodnight everybody," he said. "Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight, Luffy," the Straw Hats replied.

"Goodnight, Big Brother," Aika said as she kissed Luffy on the cheek. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Aika," Luffy answered as he held the 6-year-old in his arms, and soon after, he and the others drifted off into slumber.

 _~Dream Sequence~_

The sky was black with dark clouds and red lightning bolts striking the sea. The Straw Hat Pirates stood on the deck of the _Thousand Sunny_ , all of them in fighting stances, as the ocean began to shake and boil. Soon, something rose up from the beneath its depths, towering over the ship.

It is soon revealed to be a giant Fleet Admiral Sakazuki, otherwise known as Akainu, glowering down at the Straw Hats while Luffy just glared up at him.

"Akainu…!" Luffy hissed.

"Son of Dragon," Akainu said, his voice booming. "You won't defeat me. True justice will always prevail. Once I'm done with you…your sister and your little friends are next."

"Says you, Akainu!" Luffy barked. "I won't lose to someone like you! I'll protect my crew, no matter what you say…and then I'll be King of the Pirates!"

Hearing this caused Akainu to cackle, his voice shaking the sky.

"You, King of the Pirates?" he asked. "How do you expect to do that? You're not even wearing pants!"

A pause…but then Luffy smirked.

"No, Akainu," he said. "You're the one who's not wearing pants."

Akainu gasped before he looked down and covered his legs with his hands.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" he roared before he sank back down into the sea. At that moment, the clouds disappeared, revealing the blue, sunny sky, and the Straw Hats cheered as they surrounded their captain, with Nami planting a big kiss on Luffy's lips.

"You did it, Luffy!" she exclaimed. "You saved us!"

"I knew you had it in you, Captain!" Zoro exclaimed.

"Way to go, man!" Sanji added.

"You're so awesome!" Chopper and Usopp cheered.

"Hooray for Big Brother!" Aika shouted.

"Yohohohoho!" Brook chortled.

"He was…mmm…SUPER~!" Franky yelled, striking his signature pose.

Robin chuckled while Blizzard and Kumi barked happily.

"Shishishishishi!" Luffy chuckled, grinning from ear-to-ear.

 _~Dream end~_

Luffy smiled, making a pleasant hum as he slept soundly, surrounded by his ever loyal crew…the nightmares no longer plaguing him. He may be afraid, that might be true, but he knew that somehow, someway, he'd be able to push his way through his fear and fight back…because that's what a captain does.

* * *

Another sweet one. Sorry it's short, though.

Lunapok was the one who suggested it, so I owe her a big thanks. Oh, and in case you're wondering about the little references, a friend of mine, Ichirukivsichihime, does that in her stories, and it seemed fun, so why not? XD

Review, please!


	4. Siblings

One Piece Prompts:

Siblings

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Monkey D. Aika © Me

* * *

Summary- Luffy never once thought of having siblings…but they were the happiest things that ever happened to him.

* * *

Monkey D. Luffy never once thought that he would have siblings: two older brothers and a younger half-sister. At first, he just thought of them as potential friends…but then fate had other plans for him, it seemed.

Ace was the irritable, somewhat bullying, but fiercely protective brother. He was annoyed by Luffy's constant crying and following him around like a little puppy. He always thought of Luffy as someone who was weaker than him and did whatever he could to keep him away. He found himself growing fond of him, though (even though back then, he wouldn't admit it), and found himself letting Luffy hang around him more…especially after Sabo's supposed death. He would quickly beat up anyone who dared to harm Luffy in front of him…and sometimes, he'd take it a bit too far, bludgeoning any person or animal to near death with his pipe. He would go any length even to hide Luffy from the crazed old man known as Garp, who would stop at nothing to force his grandsons to become Marines.

Ace was like Luffy's guiding light, giving him the confidence that helped him through any obstacles…and that light was snuffed out by Akainu, now known as Fleet Admiral Sakazuki. The day he died, Luffy felt anguish like he never had before. Despite that, he managed to push through his despair and even trained himself in order to protect the crew he held dear to his heart. He even had a move that was dedicated to his fallen brother, one that holds the same flames as him.

Sabo is the more patient, compassionate brother. Luffy would always go to him when he was upset, even in spite of Sabo being slightly disgusted with the snot. Sabo was always the one to cheer Luffy on during a spar and encourage him, even when Ace would laugh. Sabo taught Luffy the true meaning of freedom when he was forced to go back to living his life as a noble…a life he scorned so much. A life he ran away from, and doing so nearly cost him his life. Who would've thought that Luffy would see him again after 12 years of believing that he had perished? Even more so, Sabo had gained his late brother's powers in order to carry on Ace's will, promising to use it to protect Luffy and Aika, both.

He didn't want to fail either of them, again…not like how he felt like he had failed Ace, the brother he didn't remember until it was too late.

Aika is the younger, innocent half-sister that Luffy never even knew he had. When he first saw her on Punk Hazard, she was just a timid, fragile little girl with only a puppy to keep her company, while the other children wouldn't even give her the time of day, calling her names such as "freak" and "monster" because of her ability to talk to animals with her Observation Haki and the power of her Dog-Dog Fruit; Honshu Wolf powers. She opened up to Luffy rather quickly, though, connecting with him like she didn't connect with any other person. He played with her and gave her courage she never thought she had inside her. Then Luffy and the Straw Hats take her and Kumi in…and when Nami revealed to Luffy that Aika was his sister, at first, he thought it was a dream or some kind of joke that Nami was trying to pull on him, but the moment he realized it was reality…he never felt so happy. He now knew how it felt to be an older sibling, for once, having someone to luck up to him and for him to protect and teach.

Now if only he could teach her to stop wandering off on her own. According to Luffy, he still doesn't know where Aika gets it from.

All-in-all, Luffy may not have expected to have siblings…but to him, they were greatest things that ever happened to him…apart from his crew, that is, and no matter what, Luffy vowed that he would make sure he wouldn't lose any of them.

* * *

I know, this is a short one, but it's the best I could do. I'll probably make another depicting Luffy's relationship with his crew.

Review, please!


	5. Fireflies

One Piece Prompts

Fireflies

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, and Kumi © Me

* * *

Summary- Aika wakes up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, but also finds something that she can't wait until morning to share with the rest of the crew.

* * *

Nighttime on the _Thousand Sunny_. The Straw Hat Pirates have gone to bed about 3 hours ago. Zoro was up in the Crow's Nest on watch duty with Robin sleeping in the Crow's Nest. She didn't mind the lights being on or the sound of Zoro lifting weights, of course. In fact, the noise actually lulled her to sleep and gave her a sense of security.

The rest of the Straw Hats just snored the night away.

In one particular bedroom, Monkey D. Aika lie sleeping in her bed, holding her favorite plush toy, Timber, while Kumi lied beside her in her little doghouse, the puppy's legs twitching in a galloping motion in her sleep, probably dreaming of chasing rabbits on the plains of Wano.

All of a sudden, Aika felt a familiar tingly sensation, causing her to shiver a bit before she sat up and go out of bed with only one thing on her mind.

"Bathroom…" she muttered, dragging Timber along the floor as she walked out of her bedroom, passed Luffy and Nami's room, went up the stairs to Zoro and Robin's room, out the door, and across the decks before she reached one of the toilets. Once inside, she let nature take care of the rest. After 10 seconds, she washed her hands and came out, but as she was heading back to her room, but as she did, she spotted something above her: a strange, greenish-yellow glow. At first, she didn't know what it might be, but then she gasped, a bit startled, when it suddenly floated down towards her, making a tiny buzzing sound. As it grew closer, Aika crossed her eyes as it landed on the very tip of her cute little nose…for she saw that it was a tiny little firefly, its abdomen glowing brightly.

"Wow…!" Aika whispered, but then as she looked up again, she gasped as more glowing lights appeared. The girl's eyes went wide and she smiled broadly in awe…but then, a thought suddenly occurred to her.

"I have to show everybody…!"

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by Gowther reading (Seven Deadly Sings reference)*****

"Unh…meat…!" Luffy snored as he lied in bed with Nami lying next to him, her ears plugged up, once again. Luffy was surprisingly exhausted from the events of the day. It seemed that even someone of boundless energy such as him could not keep up with Aika.

A blessing in disguise, the Straw Hats called it.

As Luffy and Nami slept…the latter could somehow the pattering of little paws, causing the navigator to awaken.

"Oh, no," Nami muttered. "Luffy. Incoming."

"Say wha…?" Luffy mumbled, having not fully awoken, when suddenly…

"WAKE UP!" Aika shouted as she leapt onto the bed in her Wolf Form.

"OOF!" Luffy cried, for his younger half-sister had landed right on his bare back. "Ohh…Aika…!"

"Come outside!" Aika urged. "Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up!"

"Aika, it's the middle of the night, sweetie," Nami said.

"Can't it wait until morning, Sis?" Luffy asked.

"It won't be here in the morning!" Aika rebuked. "C'mon! Hurry! Get outta bed!"

"Ugh…" Luffy groaned as he sat up. "Okay, okay, I'm up, I'm up."

"Yay!" Aika cheered as she ran out.

"Jeez, this kid…" Luffy muttered as he got up, putting on his pants (he had his boxers on as well). "Now I know how Ace and Sabo must've felt when they were growing up."

"We better go see what Aika wants," Nami said as she got out of bed, too.

 *****Scene change brought to you by Tsumugi Inuzuka (Sweetness and Lightning reference)*****

In the Men's Quarters, the boys were all snoring up a storm.

"Ohh, so you want my autograph, huh?" Usopp asked, cackling in his sleep, but then, Aika came rushing, jumping on his head. "OOF!"

"Wake up, you guys!" Aika called, causing everybody to wake up.

"What in the world?!" Sanji questioned.

"Good heavens, what is going on?!" Brook asked.

" _Huh?"_ Blizzard muttered, lying in his bed.

"Guys, come outside!" Aika said. "Hurry up!"

"Aika, get off my head…!" Usopp groaned.

"Aika, do you know what time it is?" Chopper asked. "It's the middle of the night, y'know."

"But I gotta show you guys something!" Aika said.

"Can't it wait until morning, kiddo?" asked Franky, scratching his head.

"No! C'mon!" replied the younger D. Carrier before she ran out the door, causing the boys to groan.

"Now we know she's Luffy's sister," Sanji grumbled as he got out of bed.

Before long, everyone came outside, even Zoro and Robin, the latter having woken up from Aika's shouting.

"All right, Aika," Luffy said. "What's so important that you…had to…whoa…!"

That's when he saw them: the glowing swarm of fireflies, some darting around and others just gently floating by in the air.

"Oh…my…gosh…!" Nami whispered in awe.

"Look at all these fireflies!" Usopp exclaimed. "They're all over the place!"

"Magnificent," Robin smiled, holding out her hand as one landed on her fingertips.

"I can see why you had to wake us up, Aika," Sanji noted.

"Yeah!" Franky added. "It's not everyday you see fireflies! Especially this many!"

"Yohohohohoho!" Brook chortled. "Indeed!"

 **Yip-yip! Yip!** Kumi barked as she chased after the luminous insects, snapping her little jaws at them and trying to catch as many as possible.

"They're beautiful!" Chopper exclaimed, sitting on Blizzard's head.

As the group marveled at the bugs, Luffy suddenly whooping and hollering as he started chasing after the fireflies, and not long after, Aika and Kumi joined in. Even Usopp couldn't resist getting his bug tackle and chasing them around, trying to catch as many as he could. Of course, he would release them soon after.

Some of the fireflies even came around the girls' necks, forming what looked like necklaces. Luffy couldn't help but get lost in Nami's eyes as the fireflies seemed to add a bit of an extra shine to them. Robin leaned on Zoro's shoulder as they gazed up at the little light show were putting on for them.

"Oh! Look!" Brook said as he pointed at the fireflies, which began to form many different shapes: a flower, a wolf's head…

" _Oh, wow!"_ Blizzard exclaimed, wagging his tail. _"Look at that, it's me!"_

…a star, a butterfly, and finally, the Straw Hats' Jolly Roger.

"Oh, cool!" Luffy said, his eyes sparkling.

Aika, now human again, giggled as she skipped and twirling around, the fireflies seeming to spin with her, but then, she soon lost her balance and fell back, but luckily, her brother was there to catch her.

"Whoa!" Luffy said. "Take it easy, there!"

"Shishshi!" Aika giggled as Luffy picked her up, watching the fireflies with the rest of the Straw Hats.

"Thank you for showing us the fireflies, Aika," Nami said, petting her adopted little sister on the head. "I can see now why you didn't want us to miss it."

"Mm!" Aika nodded.

Before too long, the fireflies had begun to disperse, flying off to parts unknown.

"Aww," Aika complained. "Where are they going?"

" _They might be going to bed, Aika,"_ Blizzard said.

"Just like you should be," Robin said.

"Aww, but I'm not…" Aika began, but then she felt her eyelids grow heavy. "I'm not…" She then let out a big yawn before her head fell against Luffy's shoulder. Not long after, Kumi yawned as she sat at Nami's feet, blinking sleepily as the navigator gathered the puppy in her arms.

"Typical," Zoro smirked. "She talks big, but her body betrays her in the end."

"As usual for a little kid like her," Usopp added.

"Well, I don't know about you guys," Franky began, "but I'm going back to bed."

"Me, too," Sanji said, "not that I don't mind Aika showing us those little bugs."

"That was truly beautiful," Robin added.

"Nami and I are gonna tuck the little scamps in bed," Luffy said as he headed for Aika's room with Nami following behind, carrying Kumi. Soon, Luffy put Aika into bed, tucking her under the covers while Nami put Kumi in her doghouse.

"Goodnight, Aika," Luffy whispered, kissing Aika on the forehead.

"I love you, Big Brother…" Aika murmured, causing Luffy to grin and chuckle as he placed Timber in his half-sister's arms. Then, he turned and left with Nami, who looked at him lovingly before she gave him a quick peck on the lips and headed to their room. Not long after, Luffy quietly began to close the door, leaving it open just a crack…wide enough for a tiny familiar glow to come floating in. The firefly landed on Aika's nightstand, its soft light momentarily causing the child to open one tawny brown eye at it before she giggled and closed it again, casting off into slumber once more…

 **THE END**

* * *

Just thought I'd update this. It's short and sweet...just like Aika. XD

Also, I started watching this anime called Amaama to Inazuma (Sweetness and Lightning), one of those slice-of-life anime...and I fell in love with it. Plus, it's got good cooking! Yummy!

Anyway, review, please!


	6. Storms

One Piece Prompts: Storms

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, and Kumi © Me

* * *

Summary- On a dark and stormy night, Aika finds herself too frightened by the thunder and lightning, but is trying her hardest to be brave.

* * *

It was a dark and stormy night in the New World. Nothing too out of the ordinary, just a regular thunderstorm with the occasional lightning bolts. On the _Thousand Sunny_ , the Straw Hats are curled up in their beds, trying to ride out the storm and sleep peacefully. Only Usopp and Sanji were awake, keeping watch in case things got too rough, thus they would wake Nami so they could sail to calmer waters.

"Some storm, huh?" Sanji asked as he looked out the window.

"Yeah," Usopp replied, "but the only thing louder than the thunder is Luffy's snoring."

Sanji couldn't help snickering at this.

As the Straw Hats slept, however…one of their youngest members was wide awake, trembling in bed: one Monkey D. Aika, who hid under the covers as she trembled with fright. Nearby, Kumi snored softly as she lied curled up in her bed, the sound of the thunder in the clouds going on completely unheard to her ears. Aika whimpered as she grabbed a pillow and covered her own ears, trying to drown out the sound of the thunder. At first, it seemed to work…for about 5 seconds.

 **BABOOM!** The thunder crashed, causing Aika to gasp in fright before she grabbed her wolf plush, Timber and hugged him as tight as she could. Despite this, the child refused to scream, no matter how badly she wanted to. After all, she was a pirate, now, and the last time she checked, pirates were not afraid of thunderstorms.

Besides, what would Luffy say if he ever found out? He'd probably tease her forever and never let her live it down.

That's why, more than anything, she refuse to start crying…no matter how scared she was.

"I'll just…try and fall asleep," Aika whispered to herself. "It'll be over soon…so I'll just wait it out…and fall asleep."

With that, she slowly started to shut her eyes, but just when she was about to drift off into slumber… **BABOOOOOOOM!** A particularly loud thunderclap jolts her awake, and without warning, she sits up and lets out a shrill, blood-curdling scream that could wake the dead…but instead, it only woke up the Straw Hats.

"Good heavens!" cried Brook as he sat up, startled by Aika's scream.

"What the hell was that?!" Franky questioned as he sat up, too.

" _I didn't do it!"_ Blizzard yelped as he jumped to his paws, Chopper clinging to his scarf.

"Was that Aika?!" the reindeer asked.

Zoro and Robin gasped as they sat up, as well.

"Jeez, what was that?!" the swordsman asked.

"That came from Aika's room, didn't it?" asked Robin, concerned.

Naturally, Luffy and Nami woke up, as well. The former, not even taking a moment to ask what was going on, just grabbed his cardigan and ran out the door, putting it on as he rushed to Aika's room.

"Aika?!" he asked as he opened it…only to see an empty bed with rumpled sheets and Kumi, looking under the bed frame before she looked up at Luffy, who got down on his knees and looked under the bed himself. Sure enough, there she was: his younger half-sister, in her Wolf Form, her tail curled up in between her legs…and bawling her eyes out.

"…Oh, Aika," Luffy said as he reached his arms and gently pulled her out from underneath the mattress. "You okay, Little Wolf?"

"…I'm sorry, Big Brother…!" Aika whimpered. "The storm…it was so scary…!"

"Aww, I know," Luffy said, rocking back and forth as he held her. "It's gonna be okay."

"Is everything all right?" Robin asked as she came in, followed by Nami and the others.

"What's wrong with the squirt?" Zoro asked.

"Aika got frightened by the storm," Luffy answered. "You guys go back to sleep, I got this."

"You sure?" Franky asked.

"Yeah, I got it," Luffy assured.

"Okay, but we're here if you need us," Sanji spoke up before they all headed back to bed, or watch duty in Sanji and Usopp's case.

"You should've told us you were scared, you know," Luffy said.

"…How can I be a pirate," Aika began, "if I'm afraid of a thunderstorm?"

Luffy sighed as he gently pet the wolf girl's head.

"You were afraid I'd laugh at you, huh?" he inquired, causing her to nod in reply. "Don't be sillier than you already are…I'm your big brother. I'm supposed to comfort you and tell you everything's gonna be okay."

"So you're not mad?" Aika asked, sniffling as she looked up at him. "Really?"

"Of course I'm not mad," Luffy answered. "In fact…I understand more than you think I do. I used to be afraid of thunder and lightning, too, when I was little."

Aika's eyes went wide.

"You were afraid?" she asked. "But…but you're gonna be the King of the Pirates, one day!"

"Just because I'm gonna be King of the Pirates doesn't mean I can't be afraid," Luffy answered. "Sometimes, when it was stormy outside, I couldn't sleep at night because I was so scared of the thunder and lightning. It was so loud and scary…"

"So…how'd you get through it?" Aika asked.

" _Yeah, Luffy,"_ Kumi spoke up. _"How'd you do it?"_

"Well," Luffy began, "I had my brothers with me."

Aika gasped upon hearing that.

"Big Brother Ace and Big Brother Sabo?" she asked.

"Yeah," Luffy smiled. "They helped me a lot."

 _Flashback_

A 7-year-old Luffy sat on his futon, shivering frightfully as he wrapped his blanket around himself, staring outside to see the pouring rain and hearing the howling wind. **BABOOM! FWASH!** Thunder crashed and lightning cracked the sky, causing the rubber boy to yelp in fear before he ducked down, covering his head as he tried his hardest not to cry…even though tears were already escaping from his eyes.

"Luffy…"

Luffy gasped as he heard 10-year-old Ace grumbling as he sat up and glared.

"Will you shut up and go to sleep, already?" asked Ace. "You've been yelling for an hour, now!"

"But Ace," Luffy sniffled, "it…it's so scary…!"

"Suck it up and deal with it," Ace said in his usual callous tone. "It's not the end of the world. Just wait it out and go to sleep already."

"But Ace…!" Luffy whined.

"Look," Ace started, "don't you think it's pretty stupid of you to be afraid when you know that Sabo and I are right here with you?"

"…Huh?" muttered Luffy, blinking at him in confusion.

"I think what Ace is trying to say," Sabo began as he sat up, "is that you shouldn't be scared, Luffy…as long as you've got us. We promise, we'll keep you safe…okay?"

A pause…but then Luffy smiled and nodded his head.

"Okay!" he chirped, causing Sabo to smile before ruffling his hair, as if in a comforting manner.

"Good," he said.

"Now shut up and go to sleep, will ya?" Ace asked as he lied back down.

"Love you, too, Ace!" Luffy spoke, causing his brother to roll his eyes…but he smiled, nonetheless. Sabo chuckled as he lied back down, as well, followed by Luffy, who grinned from ear-to-ear before he finally fell asleep as the storm rolled on outside.

 _Flashback end_

"As long as I had my brothers," Luffy said, "I felt brave enough to face anything…and what's more, I've got Nami, Zoro, and everybody else to get me through my problems…and what's more, I've got you now, too, Aika."

Aika smiled, her tail wagging, as did Kumi.

"So you shouldn't have to be afraid to tell anyone," Luffy said. "Even if you're scared, you should remember you're not alone…you got me and Nami and everyone else."

"And Big Brother Sabo and Big Sis Koala, too?" Aika asked.

"Yeah, even them," Luffy nodded.

"…Thank you, Big Brother," Aika said as she returned to her human form and hugged her older half-brother, who returned her embrace.

"You wanna sleep with me and Nami, tonight?" Luffy asked.

"Can Kumi come?" Aika asked.

"Sure!" Luffy answered as he gathered the Akita puppy into his arms.

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by Ryo Kurokiba's bandanna (Food Wars reference)*****

"Is everything okay, now?" Nami asked as Luffy came in with Aika and Kumi in his arms.

"Yep!" Luffy replied as he got in bed with the two half-pints. "All taken care of!"

Aika giggled as Nami brought her into her arms.

"Oh, sweetie," the navigator said. "Did the storm really scare you?"

"Yeah," Aika answered, "but Big Brother made it all better!"

"I do what I can," Luffy added with a bit of a cocky smirk, causing Nami to playfully nudge him.

Kumi yawned as she curled up at the foot of the bed while Aika lied in between the captain and navigator.

"Goodnight, Big Brother," Aika said. "Goodnight, Big Sis Nami. I love you."

"We love you, too, Aika," Nami whispered as she kissed Aika's forehead.

"Sweet dreams, Little Sis," Luffy added as he and Nami embraced the little girl, who smiled as she began to finally fall asleep…the storm still raging outside, unheard.

 **THE END**

* * *

Originally, I planned to write a prompt called "Shopping", but I got stuck on that. ^^; So, here's this instead!

Review, please!


	7. Hiding

One Piece Prompts: Hiding

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, and Kumi © Me

* * *

Summary- Aika shows her hiding skills.

* * *

It goes without saying that Aika is the best hider among the Straw Hats, no matter the situation. She and Kumi both, really, since they were both rather small. When you're young, hiding is seen as more of a game, rather than an actual life skill that you would need in adulthood.

That's what Luffy had taught her, anyway.

There was the occasional game of hide-and-seek where Aika would just start it randomly. She didn't even have to say when to start the game. She would just give Luffy, or any if not all of the other adult members, this knowing look and a soft smile, and before long, they'd be closing their eyes and counting to 10 before they opened them up and she was out of their sight.

Counting was the easy part. It was really seeking Aika out that the Straw Hats usually had difficulty with. Someone as tiny as her on a big ship like the _Thousand Sunny_ usually meant there was a plethora of hiding spots for the little wolf girl, who often assumed her animal form because, in her mind, that made the game more exciting. She'd even invite Kumi along as a decoy to throw the others off her trail.

Luffy would have the most difficulty in finding Aika because he would always look in her room, under her bed, which was her usual hiding spot whenever she was upset, scared, or when a battle was going on. The only thing he would find under there, though, was dust bunnies. For this, he enlisted the help of Nami and Zoro, the latter being more irritated with playing "children's games", but agreeing nonetheless.

When searching the Crow's Nest and the Men's Quarters proved fruitless, they decided to search in the kitchen instead (and perhaps Luffy just wanted an excuse to get a pre-lunch snack before continuing the search). Sanji agreed to help as well, since he was finished washing the dishes, but couldn't search for long because he had to figure out what to make for lunch, soon. So, he looked up in the cupboards, and he did find something, or rather something found him: the wet, slobbery tongue of a certain Akita puppy named Kumi.

The cook could only laugh as the pup gave him kisses before he handed her over to the captain.

"Have you seen Aika, Kumi?" Luffy asked, holding the pup above his head.

" _Sorry, Luffy,"_ Kumi answered, _"but I can't tell you. Aika said she wouldn't give me treats if I tell!"_

"Darn," Luffy said as he put Kumi down to the floor. "Thanks, anyway."

Kumi smiled, wagging her tail.

"Try the Aquarium Bar," Sanji suggested. "Aika's probably hiding in there."

"Thanks, Sanji," Nami answered.

They went looking in there, only to find Brook enjoying a cup of tea, but when they searched the cupboard and pantry, no Aika to be found.

"I have not seen young Miss Aika," the skeleton started, "but perhaps she could be located in the library."

"Thanks, Brook," Nami replied.

"Perhaps, in exchange, I can look at your-"

"Not a chance."

Once in the library, they found Robin, sitting at the table, reading a book as usual, while giving her crewmates the acknowledging glance before continuing.

"You wouldn't have happened to see Aika in here, would you, Robin?" inquired Zoro.

"Can't say I have," answered Robin.

"Oh! I have an idea!" Luffy exclaimed. "Robin, could you-"

"Before you ask," Robin began, "let me stop you right there. Aika knew you'd ask if I could use my powers to help you look for her, and she told me not to do so."

"Jeez, she's one step ahead, isn't she?" Luffy asked.

"I taught her well," Nami smiled, proudly.

Robin only chuckled while the others left.

"Good luck finding her," she said after them.

The sick bay was next, but the only people there were Chopper and Usopp, the former bandaging the latter's nose after it got broken during a bit roughhousing with Luffy earlier today. Luffy looked under the desk and under the bed, but Aika was still nowhere to be found.

"I think I saw her with Franky earlier," Chopper said, "in the Energy Room."

And so, that's where Luffy headed next, while Zoro and Nami checked the storage rooms.

"Hey there, Franky," said Luffy. "Don't mind me. I'm just playing hide-and-seek with Aika, again."

"Never a dull moment with that pup, huh?" Franky inquired. "Hehehehe!"

"Is she hiding in here, by any chance?" Luffy asked.

"Can't say I've seen her, Luffy," Franky answered. "If she was in here, I'd know."

"Well, thanks anyway, then," Luffy said as he left and regrouped with Nami and Zoro.

"No sign of her, huh?" Nami asked, causing Luffy to shake his head in response.

"Kid's pretty slippery, huh?" Zoro asked, chuckling as he did.

"She's gotta be somewhere on the ship," Luffy said. "It's not like she got off anywhere."

Even though he didn't show it, the Straw Hat Captain was quite worried. He didn't really like the thought of not being able to find Aika after a while, and was even wondering if something might've happened to his little sister.

Just then, Blizzard approached Luffy from behind, nudging him with his nose.

" _If you're looking for Aika, I know where she is,"_ the wolf-dog said before he turned and walked away, causing Luffy to follow him. The white canine led him right to the door of Luffy and Nami's room, and when he opened the door, there, lying on the bed, was Aika, curled up in a furry ball, snoozing away, causing Luffy to coo softly at her.

"Aww, now isn't that cute?" he asked.

Blizzard snickered softly before he went over and nudged Aika, who yawned as she blinked her eyes awake, and when she woke up, she gasped happily as she noticed Luffy.

"Big Brother!" she exclaimed, wagging her little wolf tail.

"Found you," Luffy grinned as she jumped into his arms.

" _She fell asleep in here, waiting for you to show up,"_ Blizzard answered. _"Not really what I would call hiding, but you gotta give her an A for effort."_

"Hey, Big Brother," Aika said. "I'm hungry."

"Me, too," Luffy answered.

"Hey!" Sanji called from the kitchen. "Lunch is ready! Come and get it!"

"Sounds like I found you just in time, Aika," Luffy said. "C'mon, let's go and get some chow!"

"Yeah!" Aika cheered as she turned back into her human form and ran out the room with her older half-brother and Blizzard following after her.

"Oh, and Aika?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah?" Aika asked.

"Think maybe next time, you could find an easier hiding place?" Luffy asked.

"Aww, but that's no fun," Aika rebuked.

"You got me there," shrugged Luffy. "How about next time, you try to find me for a change?"

"Mmm…deal," Aika nodded with a deal before she and Luffy both headed to the kitchen with Blizzard following along.

 **THE END**

* * *

I'm getting a new computer next week, so for now, I'm using my Grandma's.

Review, please!


	8. Shopping

One Piece Prompts:  
Shopping

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, and Mikayla © Me

* * *

A gorgeous day in the New World. On an island known as Morovia, the Straw Hats happened to be stop here today. They were running low on rations, so Sanji saw this as a good opportunity to stock up on food supplies, not to mention other essentials, such as map paper, sheet music, hardware tools for repairs, new books, the like.

So, right now, the Straw Hats walked through the marketplace, and all the while, Luffy's mind was on one thing and one thing only: his stomach.

"Ugh…!" Luffy groaned along with his empty belly. "So hungry~!"

"Luffy, you just gotta be patient, okay?" Nami asked. "As soon as we're done with shopping, we can eat."

"But Nami~!" Luffy whined. "That could take all day! Can't I have a snack, at least?!"

"If I had snacks, Luffy, I'd give you one," Nami answered. "I'm sorry."

Luffy sighed as he put his hands to his stomach, which rumbled fiercely as it demanded to be fed.

"Poor Big Brother," Aika said. "He's so hungry."  
 _  
"Hey, Luffy,"_ Blizzard spoke up. _"_ _Would you like some cheese to go with that whine?"  
_  
"I don't drink," Luffy answered with his usual dimness, causing Blizzard to sigh.  
 _  
"Never mind,"_ Blizzard muttered. _"_ _Forget it."  
_  
"Don't worry, Luffy," Sanji said. "As soon as I get enough ingredients, I'll be sure to make a big feast for dinner tonight."

"Thanks, Sanji," Luffy smiled, drool dripping from his lips.

"Wipe your mouth, please," Sanji muttered.

As the Straw Hats walked through the marketplace, Luffy gasped as he spotted one of his favorite treats: bags of colorful gummy worms in purple-and-blue plastic bags, the size of the bags themselves ranging from small to huge bags as big as a backpack.

Luffy drooled at the sight of his favorite candy, his stomach roaring like a demon from hell and his mouth watering uncontrollably.

"Nami!" Luffy called. "Can I have some gummy worms?!"

"No, Luffy, you cannot," Nami answered.

"But…but they're my favorite…!" Luffy whimpered.

"Luffy," Nami began, "every time you eat gummy worms, or any kind of candy for that matter, you end up eating way too much and getting sick to your stomach!"

"And you end up puking on me," Usopp added.

"But I promise I'll just get one bag," Luffy answered, "just one of those small bags!"  
 **  
Grrrrrrgh!**

"Yes, I said 'small'!" Luffy replied to his stomach, which growled in protest. "Hey! Who makes the decisions here?! Me or you?!"

 **Guurrrgle…!  
**  
"…Okay, I guess sometimes," Luffy muttered.

"…My boyfriend is the only man I know who talks back to his stomach," Nami murmured. "Okay, Luffy. You can have just a small bag of gummy worms-"

"WHOO-HOO!" Luffy cheered.

"You didn't let me finish!" Nami interjected. "You can have one when we leave, and only if you behave."

Hearing that caused the Straw Hat Captain to pout.

"That face doesn't say you're behaving, Luffy," Nami pointed out, causing Luffy to grin, sheepishly. "That's better."

With that, she turned and walked away, while Luffy heaved a sigh.  
 **  
Grrruuuuumble!**

"Oh, shut up," Luffy said to his stomach.

Meanwhile, Sanji was busy, looking at some tomatoes, picking them up, squeezing them, and then putting them back down.

"What are you doing, Sanji?" Aika asked.

"I'm checking the produce," Sanji answered. "The dish I'm making requires tomatoes and I wanna make sure these are okay."

"What about these?" Aika asked, holding up a couple of tomatoes. "These look okay."

"You can't pick just any produce, Aika," Sanji said. "You have to make sure they're not too ripe or too fresh. Otherwise, you might make people sick when you serve the food."

"Oh, I see," Aika realized. "You're so smart, Sanji!"

 **Yip-yip!** Kumi yipped in excitement.

"In that case, can I help?" Aika asked.

"Of course!" Sanji replied as he petted the little Honshu Wolf girl on the head and gave her a list. "Why don't you and Kumi go and buy some of the vegetables I need for a salad, okay?"

"Okay!" Aika answered. "C'mon, Kumi!"

 _"Okay!"_ Kumi replied as she and her master ran off. As they did, however, Usopp seemed to be looking for something.

"Uh...has anybody seen Zoro?" asked the sniper.

"Oh, no, not again!" Nami complained. "Where'd you see him last?!"

"I don't know!" Usopp answered. "I just turned around, and he was gone!"

"Aye, aye, aye...!" the navigator groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "C'mon, Luffy, help me find Zoro."

No answer.

"Luffy?" Nami asked as she turned around, only to spot the captain at the candy kiosk, staring at the bags of gummy worms with a drooling mouth, much to the vendor's disgust.

"Gummy...!" Luffy whispered in a dazed voice.

"Luffy!" Nami called as she went and grabbed him by his collar from behind and dragged him away. "I said you could have some when we leave and IF you behave! Now help me find Zoro!"

"I seriously don't see why I can't have some, now!" Luffy argued. "Please, Nami?!"

Meanwhile, Robin is seen, looking at some books at another kiosk.

"Hmm..." she hummed as she looked at the book in her left hand. "Well...I read this one already...but I don't actually own it. I read it at a library." She then glanced at the book in her right hand. "And this one I haven't read yet...hmm..."

"Miss, I don't mean to rush you," said the vendor, "but are you planning on buying a book, today?"

 _'Or at all?'_ he added, mentally. _'Seriously, either buy something or leave!'_

"I just don't know," Robin answered before she looked at Chopper. "What do you think, Chopper?"

"It's a tough decision," Chopper answered. "You could get the book in your left hand so you can own it...unless you didn't like it."

"That's true," Robin speculated.

"And the one in your right hand you haven't read yet," Chopper added. "Hmm...what to do?"

The vendor only growled in annoyance at the archaeologist's indecisiveness.

Meanwhile, Aika is looking at the vegetables in the stands.

 _"What kind of vegetables did Sanji say he needed?"_ Kumi asked.

"Umm..." Aika hummed as she looked down at the list. "Lettuce, cucumbers, radishes, and carrots...carrots? Ew."

 _"You don't like carrots?"_ Kumi asked.

"They're too hard for me to chew," Aika answered. "Maybe can make it without carrots."

 _"I guess he'll understand,"_ Kumi shrugged.

Just as Aika was about to pick one of the cucumbers, Blizzard walked by behind them.  
 _  
"I wouldn't pick that,"_ the wolf-dog spoke up. _"Doesn't smell right to me."_

"Oh!" Aika said. "Thanks, Blizzard!"

 _"No problem,"_ Blizzard answered. _"Oh...you girls seen Zoro anywhere?"_

"Can't say we have,"

Kumi replied.

"Is he lost again?" Aika inquired.

" _What was your second clue, kiddo?"_ Blizzard asked, causing the two half-pints to laugh. _"Lemme know if you find, him okay?"_

"Okay!" the girls answered, and with that, Blizzard ran off.

Concurrently, Franky was looking at some cola to buy.

"If you buy two barrels, you get a third for free!" said the stand owner.

"Free, you say?" Franky asked. "Hmm...can't say I can pass up that offer. I SUPER like the way you think! How much per barrel?"

"Two barrels are 1500 Berries each," answered the owner.

"What?!" Franky questioned. "I don't have 3000 Berries!"

"What's going on here?" Nami asked as she walked up with Luffy.

"Uh, nothing," Franky answered. "Just trying to get some cola. If I buy two, I get a third free."

"How much are two barrels?" Luffy asked.

"3000 Berries," the shipwright replied.

"3000?!" Nami questioned. "Oh, no, that's not happening."

"Oh, no, here we go again," Luffy muttered with dread.

"Luffy, you go find Zoro," Nami said. "I've got a bit of haggling to do, and before you do that, NO, you cannot have gummy worms while you look!"

"Oh, come on!" Luffy complained.

"And don't complain, or you don't get any at all!" Nami countered, causing the Captain to cover his mouth. "Thought so."

Luffy only pouted as he walked away. As he did, though, he spotted Brook, playing guitar...with a polar bear with a saxophone...with flames coming out of it!

"WHOA!" Luffy exclaimed with starry eyes. "SO COOL~!"

"Yohohohohoho~!" Brook laughed. "What fun this is!"

The polar bear grunted in agreement.

"Aww, man, this is so awesome!" Luffy exclaimed. "How'd you find him?!"

"He just invited me to play with him!" Brook answered. "Quite talented, is he not?"

"I never saw a polar bear playing a flaming saxophone!" Luffy answered. "Guess they don't call it the New World for nothin'...wait, wasn't I supposed to be doing something?"

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by Shizuo throwing a street sign (Durarara reference)***  
**  
Concurrently, it is revealed that Zoro is standing in front of the wall of a building, glaring at some sort of poster with mismatched lines and squiggles. He glared at it, straining his good eye to look at it. He growled as he crossed his arms, leaning closer and closer towards the poster until he yelled in frustration.

"I don't SEE a pirate ship on this stupid poster!" he shouted. "Why would anyone put this here?!"

"Zoro?"

Zoro turned to see Aika and Kumi standing behind him, the former holding a bag full of vegetables.

"Oh, hey, Aika," the swordsman answered. "What's going on?"

"Everyone's looking for you, you know," Aika replied. "They think you got lost again."

"I do NOT get lost," Zoro retorted. "For your information, I just happened to get caught up at this ridiculous poster!"

"Oh!" Aika chirped as she spotted the poster. "I recognize this! They had posters like this back on Wolf Paw Island! If you concentrate hard enough, you can see a picture among the squiggly lines!"

 _"Ooh! I see a pirate ship!"_ Kumi spoke up.

"Me, too!" Aika added, tracing out the pirate ship with her finger. "Right in the middle!"

"What the...how did you-?!" Zoro asked. "...You know what? Never mind. Let's just go."

"Okay," Aika smiled.

"Uh...where are the others?" Zoro inquired, causing the Honshu Wolf Girl to giggle before she reached up and took him by the hand, leading him back to the main marketplace. The swordsman blushed a bit, hoping that no one would see on account of his pride, but then he sighed in resignation and smiled.  
 **  
***Short timeskip brought to you by the Dollars (Durarara reference)*****

"Wow!" Usopp exclaimed, looking at a Hercules Beetle inside a tank. The sniper happened to see the bugs inside a pet shop and couldn't help taking a look. As he went to check out the other pets inside, he stopped to look at a little Chihuahua wearing a black spiked collar and an almost crazed look in his eyes, shivering in a cage.

"Aww~"! the sniper cooed as he reached his fingers in. "Who're you, you cute little-"

In the blink of an eye, the little dog turned into a vicious beast, barking wildly and nearly biting Usopp's fingers off he had her not pulled them away in time.

"AYE CHIHUAHUA!" Usopp cried. "WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH HIM?!"

"Oh, that's just Frank," said the shop owner. "He's the meanest little dog we got here. Even Pit Bulls are afraid of him. He's not really for sale, but he makes a good guard dog. You're lucky he's in that cage."

"Hmph!" Usopp scoffed as Frank growled at him. "Well, I guess as long as you're in that cage, I can do this!" He then proceeded to pull funny faces at the tiny canine, and even turned and smacked his buttocks at him before he walked away, laughing mockingly. However...Frank growled viciously before he bit down the door of his cage and ripped it right off its hinges!

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by Izaya throwing knives (Durarara reference)***  
**  
Meanwhile, Aika and Kumi had made it back to the main marketplace with Zoro. As they did, Aika gasped as she saw a woman at a kiosk, signing pictures of herself to a long line of people. She had wavy, blonde hair with a streak of it dyed hot pink, a dazzling magenta shirt with rhinestones on the shoulders, a hip-hugging skirt, and a pair of high-heel boots.

"What's up, Aika?" Zoro asked.

"It's...it's Mikayla...!" she whispered. "She's only the biggest pop star in the world, right now...and I'm her biggest fan...! I've always wanted to meet her in person, and now, here she is!"

(A/N: Mikayla is voiced by Shakira.)

"I see," Zoro answered. "Do you want an autograph?"

"I would like one," Aika replied before she glanced at the line of people, "but...there are so many people. By the time I get in line, Mikayla will be all done with her autograph signing."

"Hmmm..." hummed Zoro, inquisitively before he approached the queue. "Hang on a sec."

"What are you doing, Zoro?" Aika asked.

"Just watch," Zoro answered as he stood at the very back of the line. "Ahem! Excuse me."

"Yes?" said everyone in line...and before long, the swordsman sent a foreboding glare at them, causing them all to gasp before they ran off in fright.

"Okay, Aika," Zoro called. "You can get your autograph, now."

"YAY!" Aika cheered as she ran up and hugged Zoro. "Thank you, Zoro! I love you!"

Zoro chuckled and pet the little half-pint on the head before she and her puppy went to get the pop star's autograph.

"Oh, there you are, Zoro."

The swordsman turned to see Robin and Chopper approaching.

"Oh, hey, Robin," he greeted. "You get your book?"

"I didn't get just one book," Robin answered as she pulled out the two books she was looking at earlier from her bag. "I got two. I decided to get both of them, since I enjoyed the first one so much, and I hadn't read the second yet."

"It was my idea," Chopper spoke up.

"Aunt Robin! Chopper!" Aika called as she ran over to the archaeologist and doctor, holding a photo of Mikayla with her signature. "Look, look, look! I got an autograph from Mikayla!"

"Oh, she's quite famous," Robin smiled.

"Wow, Aika, that's awesome!" Chopper added.

 _"It sure is!"_ Kumi spoke, wagging her tail.

"And Mikayla was so nice to me, too!" Aika commented. "She said that I was the sweetest little girl she ever met!"

"Well, that's because you are, sweetheart," Robin said, gently pinching Aika's cheek, which caused her to giggle. "Anyway, I think it's almost time for us to get going."

"Yeah, same here," Zoro agreed.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~!"

Everyone looked up to see Luffy, standing in front of the candy kiosk, comical tears falling from his eyes. Why? The shelf where the gummy worms he coveted so much was empty.

"Sorry, buddy," said the kiosk owner. "A little girl came and bought the very last bag."

"My...my candy...!" Luffy sniffled.

At that moment, Nami appeared with Franky, having just finished haggling for the cola barrels, and noticed her captain mourning the loss of his favorite candy.

"Oh, brother," Nami muttered.

"Gummy worms, again, huh?" Franky asked.

Despite this, Nami walked up to Luffy and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Sorry, Luffy," she said, "but it is just candy. There will always be more gummy worms."

"Why didn't you let me buy them when I had the chance?!" Luffy sobbed, snot dripping out of his nose. "Now they're gone~!"

"I know, Luffy," Nami said as she pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his nose. "I'm sorry."

Just then, Sanji, carrying bags of food, and Brook appeared with Usopp, Robin, Zoro, Chopper, Blizzard, Aika, and Kumi. For some strange reason, however, Brook's clothes were singed and blackened with suit.

"Brook?" Nami asked. "What happened to you?"

"The polar bear hit a high note and burned me with a fireball," Brook answered. "Perhaps...a peek at your panties will help me feel better?"

 **BONK!** Nami and Sanji both kicked the skeleton on the skull.

"HELL NO, YOU PERV!" they both shouted.

"OUCH!" Brook cried.

"Sanji, look!" Aika spoke up, holding a bag full of vegetables. "I got the veggies you asked me to get."

"Thank you, sweetheart," Sanji replied as he took the bag and looked inside, only to make a perplexed expression. "Umm...Aika?"

"Yes?"

"Where are the carrots?"

"I didn't get any. I don't like carrots. They're too hard for my teeth."

A pause...but then Sanji chuckled and pet Aika on the head.

"Well, I guess I can make due without them," he answered. "Thank you, sweetie."

 **Yip-yap!** Kumi barked, as if to say "What about me?!"

"And of course, you too, Kumi," the cook added, petting Kumi on the head, to the puppy's delight.

"Oh, and Blizzard helped, too!" Aika pointed out, pointing to the white wolf-dog. "He sniffed out the bad ones for us."

"Oh!" Sanji realized as he gave Blizzard a scratch behind the ears. "Well, thank you, Blizzard."

Blizzard panted, happily wagging his tail.

"Anyway," Sanji said. "I have enough ingredients to make the dinner I have planned."

"Well...I guess it's not a total loss, then," Luffy said. "Still wish I had gotten some gummy worms, though."

"Oh, relax," Zoro said. "They're just candy."

With that, the Straw Hats turned to leave, but as they did, Aika reached into her pocket and pulled out...a small plastic bag full of colorful gummy worms.

"Here, Big Brother," Aika said, causing Luffy to gasp.

"Aika...you got me my gummy worms?!" the Straw Hat Captain asked, causing Aika to smile. "Thank you!"

"I decided to buy them for you, anyway," Aika replied, "in case you didn't get them."

Luffy sniffled as he hugged Aika tightly.

"I don't deserve such a sweet sister...!" he whispered.

"That is such a kind thing to do~!" sobbed Franky.

"Aww~!" Nami cooed.

"Thank you so much, Aika!" Luffy said as he opened up the bag of candy. "I'm gonna save these forever! ...Right after I these ones." He then proceeded to gobble the sugary invertebrates. "Mmmm...the yellow and red ones are always the best!"

"Well, I guess there's our happy ending," Usopp said...but then, he heard a rustling sound coming from behind him, and as he looked back, a blur lunged out of the bushes: Frank with a kunai knife!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Usopp shrieked before Frank proceeded to maul him.

"Aww~! A Chihuahua!" Aika swooned.

"GET HIM OFF ME~!" Usopp screamed.

The moral of this story is: be grateful to your siblings...and don't piss off a Chihuahua.

 **THE END**

* * *

I know, not the ending you were expecting, but I liked it!

Also, thank you, Ego-Man25, Yellowpikmin88, and Gakuto1991 for your suggestions.

Review, please!


	9. Pressure

One Piece Prompts:  
Pressure

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard and Monkey D. Aika © Me

* * *

(WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!)

It was a peaceful, quiet night in the New World. The waxing crescent moon was high up in the starry sky, which is clear of any cloud cover. The only thing breaking the silence was the sound of Brook's violin and gurgling of the waves of the sea.

 **Grrrrrrrggle...!  
**  
...Make that a gurgling of a hungry stomach.

Out on deck, Luffy, Chopper, and Blizzard sat on the railing together, staring up at the moon, and once again, someone's empty belly began to growl.

"Who the hell was that?" asked Luffy, but not long after, his stomach let out a deep rumble, thus earning a glare from Blizzard and Chopper while the Straw Hat Captain grinned sheepishly. "Okay, it was me. Sorry."

 **Grrrrrrwwwll~!** Luffy and Chopper both tensed up as they heard another growl, this one coming from a blushing Blizzard...but it wasn't coming from his mouth.

"Ahahahahaha!" Luffy laughed, along with Chopper. "But it was Blizzard's tummy, that time!"

 _"Real funny,"_ Blizzard said with irritation.

Luffy sighed as he, the guard dog, and the doctor stared back up at the moon...which started to look like a cookie that already been bitten into.

"Man, I'm starving," muttered Luffy.

"Me, too," Chopper added. "I can't believe we're short on food, already."

 _"Maybe we wouldn't be if Luffy would stop eating so many portions,"_ Blizzard glared.

"Hey!" Luffy rebuked. "I'm a growing boy!"

"You ate way more than a growing boy should eat, Luffy!" Chopper argued.

"It's not like I can help it! I need the extra calories!"

 _"Oh, please! The first thing you do after you eat so much that you look like a giant balloon is lie down and snore like a fat pig!"  
_  
"Anyone would feel sleepy when they get full! You guys do it, too!"

"Not as much as you do!"  
 _  
"Yeah! You're one to talk!"_

 **Grrrrrrggh...! Rrrrrmmmmbbrrgh...! Grrrroooooooowwwrr...!  
**  
"Ugh..." the Misfit Trio groaned. "So hungry~!"

"We shouldn't argue so much," Chopper said. "We'll just waste energy, that way."

 _"Good idea,"_ Blizzard concurred.

"I'm dying~!" Luffy whined.

"Oh, shut up!" Chopper and Blizzard barked.

Up in the Crow's Nest, Pedro looks through the binoculars, keeping an eye out for any sign of land. Carrot stood next to him, looking down at the arguing Misfit Trio down below with a look of concern.

"Hey, Pedro?" Carrot asked. "Luffy, Chopper, and Blizzard sure are arguing a lot, huh?"

"They- _gara_ are just hungry," said Pedro. "That's what happens when there's not enough food to go around. We only have enough to last maybe one more day, and even then, we might not reach land by then."

"...The sea really is harsh, sometimes, isn't it?" Carrot asked.

"Yes," Pedro answered, "especially to those who are inexperienced."

The Rabbit Mink blinked at the Jaguar Mink, who seemed to have a somewhat distant look in his eyes. Seeming concerned, Carrot opened her mouth, as if to say something, but then closed it and looked away.

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by Sinbad's Focalor Djinn Equip (Magi reference)***  
**  
In the kitchen, Aika is looking inside the pantry, trying to do inventory. So far, they only had a bag of potatoes, some cheese, some leftover cured meat, and about 8 eggs in the fridge, but she didn't know what to do with them, and even if she did, it wasn't enough to feed everyone...especially Luffy. Aika sighed as she sat down on her knees, a look of disappointment on her face, not because of the lack of food, but rather...at herself.

With Sanji gone, Aika took it upon herself to cook for the crew until they got him back. The cooking wasn't the issue, though, since Aika made some curry for dinner on the night they left Zou, as well as various other dishes. It was rationing she had a problem with.

She was so proud of all the praise she had been getting, she had forgotten to keep count of inventory. Now, they only had enough food to last them maybe until tomorrow morning, but she didn't know what they would do for food until then. She was certainly feeling the pressure of the responsibility of being the ship's cook piling on her shoulders, by now.

"What am I gonna do?" Aika asked as she looked at the pantry. "If Sanji were here, he'd make sure we'd have enough food until the next island...but he's not here...now everyone might starve because of me."

"Everything okay, Aika?"

Aika turned to see Nami, who had just come out of the sick bay, tending to Pekoms, who was asleep.

"Hi, Big Sis Nami," Aika said. "I was just trying to check on inventory...but it's not going so well."

"I'm sorry, sweetie," Nami replied as she pet Aika on the head. "No one said it'd be easy, though."

"...I realize that, now," Aika muttered. "...Hey, Big Sis?"

"Hmm?"

"If Sanji were here, and he saw me right now...do you think he'd be disappointed in me? He's the one who taught me how to cook in the first place...now, because I wasn't careful, everyone's going hungry."

Nami blinked at the young D. Carrier in surprise before she smiled and took her into her arms.

"I think you're underestimating yourself, Aika," said the navigator. "And you underestimate Sanji, too."

"Huh?" Aika muttered, confused. "What do you mean?"

"I'm sure Sanji knows you're trying your best," Nami said. "We know it, too. That's what's really important."

"Really?" Aika asked, a hopeful smile.

"Of course," Nami replied as she nuzzled her cheek against the wolf-girl's. "No matter what, Aika, you could never disappoint us."

"Shishishishi!" Aika giggled. "I love you, Big Sis Nami."

"I love you, too," Nami said as she let Aika go. "And don't worry...somehow or another, we always manage to scrounge up some food. For now, let's just be patient. It's what Sanji would do."

Aika nodded her head in agreement while Nami got up and walked out. As she left, Aika looked at the potatoes, cheese, and cured meat, and as she thought about the eggs in the fridge, she gasped.

"That's it!"  
 **  
***Short timeskip brought to you by Yui (Sword Art Online reference)*****

"Everyone!" Aika called. "I made dinner!"

Upon hearing that, everyone came rushing into the galley, and when they did, they saw plates of omelettes containing cheese, bits of cured meat, potatoes, and seasoned with rosemary.

"Wow, this looks awesome!" Luffy exclaimed, drooling hungrily.

"And it smells so yummy!" Carrot added.

"I know it looks small," Aika said, "but I did my best."

"I'm just happy to get something in my stomach!" Luffy said as he sat down and grabbed his plate. "Let's eat!"

On that, everyone began to dig in, and needless to say, they were overwhelmed by the mixture of flavors.

"Not bad," Pedro said.

"Yohohohoho!" Brook laughed. "It tickles my taste buds! Although I don't have taste buds."

"Delicious!" Nami exclaimed.

As everyone ate, Chopper noticed that out of all them...Aika was the only one who didn't have an omelette. Instead, she started at her empty plate.

"Hey, Aika?" Chopper asked. "Where's your omelette?"

"...I didn't have enough to make my own," Aika answered before grinning sheepishly, "but that's okay! I'm not even that hungry, anyway!"

 **Grrrrrrwwwll~!** The 6-year-old blushed as she felt her tummy rumble, causing everyone to look at her in concern. A beat passes, but then Luffy sighed as he used his fork to cut his omelette in half, then put the half that was uneaten on her plate, to her surprise.

"Big Brother, what are you-" Aika started, until Luffy interjected.

"You think I'm just gonna sit here and let my Little Sis go hungry?" Luffy asked. "Even after she did all she could to take care of us?"

"...Big Brother...!" Aika murmured, but then, Nami put half of her omelette on the young D. Carrier's plate, too.

"Here's half of mine," said the navigator. "Besides, I'm dieting, anyway."

"Here you go," Carrot spoke up as she gave half of her omelette to Aika, too.

"Here's mine," Chopper added as he did the same.

"Here you are, young Miss Aika," Brook offered as he put half of his omelette on Aika's plate. "Besides, you need it more than I do, seeing as how I'm nothing but bones to begin with! Yohohohoho!"

"And here's mine, kid," Pedro chimed in, giving half of his omelette to Aika.

 _"Here you go, Aika,"_ Blizzard said as he gave up half of his omelette. _"Don't worry, I cut it with my claws, which I did wash."  
_  
"Grr~!" Pekoms growled, also giving the girl half of his omelette. "And here's mine!"

Aika stared at everyone in awe, but then she smiled at them, gratefully.

"Thank you, everybody," she said.

"Well, if Sanji were still here, he would've done the same," Nami said. "He wouldn't want you to go hungry for our sake, you know."

"Besides, you're a growing girl!" Luffy added. "You need the food more than we do! How do you expect to grow up strong like us? Shishishishi!"

"Shishishi!" Aika giggled. "That's true!"

With that, she started eating, and soon after, everyone else at their halves, too.

 _'Sanji,'_ Aika thought, _'being a cook is hard...but I know now that it's worth it...especially when I have everyone here to make sure I don't go hungry, either. But just you wait...we're gonna get you back, somehow! And then maybe you and I can cook meals for everybody, together!'  
_  
 *****Short timeskip brought to you by Dreyfus (Seven Deadly Sins reference)***  
**  
As the cotton candy snow fell from the sky...Sanji is seen, having a smoke while on the deck of Big Mom's ship, the figurehead humming a tune as she sailed.

 _'...Aika...I hope you and the others can hold out,'_ he thought. _'I know it's not easy...but I know you guys can...especially because I taught you everything I know.'_  
 **  
THE END**

* * *

I know, this is pretty feels-y, especially after the recent chapter, but I just wanted to update Prompts for a while. Silver Mine will be updated tomorrow (on Deviantart) and then published here.

Review, please!


	10. Bar

One Piece Prompts:  
Bar

* * *

One Piece © Oda

* * *

(Warning: contains the LuNa ship. Don't like it? Then don't read it.)

* * *

It was a night just like any other night, or so the saying goes. A new island, a new town to explore...and new restaurants, or in the captain and navigator's case, a new bar. It was really Luffy's idea, considering he and Nami hadn't spent any time together as of late, so she had decided to just go with her fiance's decision.

The two sat at the bar together, among several other patrons, while the bartender quietly cleaned the glasses behind the counter. Nami sat on a stool, a glass of rum in her hands while Luffy noisily ate some curry beside her. The ice cubes in her drink clinked against the glass as she lightly twirled her glass in her hand before she took a swig.

"More please!" Luffy exclaimed as he held up his empty plate, causing the bartender to look at him with slight disgust at how fast he had eaten his meal. In fact, he had already eaten about 7 with no sign of slowing down. In fact, he seemed so eager to get another helping, he failed to notice the stains of curry roux on his outfit. However, Nami noticed it, right away, and as she finished her rum, she tapped a finger against his shoulder.

"You might wanna wash up first before you keep eating, Captain," the navigator suggested, and that's when Luffy noticed the stains on his cardigan.

"Oops," he muttered before he looked around. "Hey, where's the...?"

"Bathroom's to your right," answered the bartender.

"Thanks, man," Luffy replied as he got up and headed to the restroom to wash out his sweater. As he left, Nami put down her empty glass.

"Another rum, straight up," she said.

"Certainly, miss," replied the bartender as he poured her another glass. "And I'll even leave you the bottle."

"Thank you," Nami smiled as she took another sip of her drink. As she did, though, someone came and sat next to her. Nami didn't even have to look to see who it was: a man of 35 years, possibly older, of large stature. Had a scruffy beard and tattoos on his chest and right bicep, a mahogany T-shirt, white pants, black boots, and a blue sash that carried a saber. One whiff of his breath and Nami knew he was dead drunk...perhaps beyond dead drunk, if it was possible.

"Hey there, sweetie," the drunkard said, leering at the curvaceous navigator, from her long orange hair, to her large breasts, and finally, to her plush, apple-shaped ass. "How about you and I share a drink together?"

"Hell no," Nami answered. "Piss off."

"Aww, c'mon," the drunkard slurred. "Don't be like that, baby~! How about you and I keep each other company~?"

"I said 'piss off'," Nami said, firmly. "Go to hell."

By now, Luffy had come out of the bathroom, and when he saw the brute sitting in HIS seat, right next to Nami, at first, he thought nothing of it. However, it was only when Nami tried to stand up and the drunkard grabbed her roughly by her wrist...that's when Luffy's blood started boiling. How dare this bastard put his hands on his navigator? Well, he was going to fix him soon enough.

With that, Luffy marched right up to the drunkard and tapped his shoulder, causing him to look back at the Straw Hat Captain.

"Hey, buddy," he hissed. "That's my seat and my girl."

"Ahhhh, beat it, shrimp!" the guy barked as he splashed Nami's drink in Luffy's face, causing him to splutter a bit, not that he didn't see it coming, but it was still irritating. "Now then, sweetheart, where were we-"

Before he could continue his flirting, however, Luffy suddenly grabbed the drunkard by the collar of his shirt and threw him against a table, smashing it to bits and shocking several other customers.

"Jerk," Luffy muttered as he sat down next to Nami again. "You okay, Nami?"

"Just fine," Nami replied as she took another sip of her drink.

"Good," Luffy grinned. "Hey, barkeep, can I have another plate of curry?"

But then, **SMASH!** The drunkard smashed a chair over Luffy's head, which seemed to stun him for a moment, but then the rubber-man turned and punched him across the jaw, and not long after, a barroom brawl had commenced because the Straw Hat Captain ended up throwing the offending drunkard into a booth where another group of thugs happened to be sitting. Patrons with weak constitutions chose to pay their tab and run out of the establishment as quick as possible as furniture and glasses went flying through the air. Nami just nonchalantly sat at the counter, drinking her drink and ducking her head to avoid getting hit by a flying chair.

The bartender was not so lucky and was quickly knocked out.

Luffy grunted as he butted his head against the jaw of another thug, and not long after he swung around, kicking another in the gut from behind. Another one tried to grab him from behind, but thanks to Luffy's Observation Haki, he was the one who got grabbed and tossed through a glass window. But then, the drunkard wrapped his arms around Luffy, who cried out in surprise as he struggled to get out of his grasp.

"You're in for it, now, shrimpy!" shouted the drunkard as he put his saber against the Straw Hat Captain's throat, causing him to growl before he reeled his foot upward and then, **THWACK!** He kicked the brute right where the sun don't shine, causing him to wail in pain as tears formed in his eyes. Then, Luffy grabbed him, hoisted him over his head with little to no effort at all, and tossed him toward the counter. At that moment, the bartender finally regained consciousness, only to scream as he narrowly avoided getting hit by a massive body. Nami, on the other hand, just poured herself another glass of rum.

"Is this always a regular thing with you?!" asked the bartender.

"Eeyup," Nami answered, casually as she took another swig of her drink. "Every time."

"Take THIS!" Luffy shouted as he slammed his elbow into another thug's neck, causing him to cough and stumble back. "And stay down!"

Nami sighed and shook her head.

"This is coming out of my tab," she muttered.

After a while, the bartender couldn't take anymore of the destruction of his bar, so he yelled for everyone to get out. While the beaten and bruised thugs all stumbled out, limping and nursing their wounds, Luffy only got away with a few simple scrapes. Nothing Chopper couldn't fix.

As for Nami, she only sighed as she stared at her empty wallet.

"Well, Luffy," she muttered. "Once again, I'm flat broke because of you, AND we got kicked out of another bar."

"Well, that guy had it coming," Luffy said. "He pissed me off, putting his hands on you like that, and then he splashed your drink on me!"

"I know," Nami said. "I could've handled him, you know."

Luffy pouted at this, but then, he felt a pair of lips kissing his cheek, causing him to blush faintly.

"But...thanks for sticking up for me, anyway," Nami smiled. "I appreciate it."

"Shishishishi!" Luffy laughed.

"Besides...I swiped some money off those thugs while you were busy fighting them," Nami said, holding up several wallets.

"Eh?" Luffy asked, surprised. "When did you do that?"

"Well, you kept throwing them over to the counter, so...y'know."

"You never cease to surprise me, do you?"

"Just like you."

Luffy grinned as he wrapped around an arm around Nami as they both headed back to the _Sunny_.

 **THE END**

* * *

I know it's short, but it's the best I can do.

Review, please!


	11. Snowballs

One Piece Prompts:  
Snowballs

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One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, and Kumi © Me

* * *

Author's note: Due to it being December, this prompt is actually the first of a mini-series called "Winter". A bit of a saga of sorts, with different themes that involve the season, including Christmas and New Year's. Hope you enjoy it!

* * *

Early morning on the _Thousand Sunny_. Everyone was sound asleep, curled up in their warm beds to stave off the cold night. Even Usopp and Chopper, who were on watch duty last night, were snuggled up in the Crow's Nest with a long, thick blanket around them.

For some reason, though, the Straw Hats still felt the chill of the night, which prompted to stay in their beds to keep warm...well, except for a certain pair of pups.

Aika yawned as she sat up, but shivered a bit as she hugged her bare arms while Kumi stretched out her body.

 _"Morning, Aika,"_ the Akita pup greeted as she scratched at her neck.

"Morning, Kumi," Aika replied as she shivered. "It's really cold in here."

 _"Yeah, I just noticed that,"_ said Kumi. _"What gives?"  
_  
Aika got out of bed, wrapping her blanket around her shoulders as she walked out the door with Kumi padding along behind her. They had to be quiet, so as not to wake Luffy and Nami in their bedroom, as well as Zoro and Robin as they entered their room, too. The swordsman snored as he held the archaeologist in his arms, his upper torso bare for all to see.

As the two half-pints made it to the door, they found themselves struggling to push it open. After some effort, they managed to force it open, just a crack, but as they did, the air got even chillier, and Aika saw a familiar white, powdery substance spill onto the floor, and that's when she gasped in excitement. After forcing the door open just a bit more, she and Kumi realized their hunch had been correct: the _Sunny's_ deck was covered in a blanket of thick snow, and beyond that was a snowy island. Even more wonderful were the tiny snowflakes falling from the sky.

"It snowed last night...!" Aika whispered.

 _"You know what this means, right?"_ Kumi asked, wagging her tail in excitement.

"Yeah...!" Aika replied.  
 **  
***Short timeskip brought to you by Asuramaru (Owari no Seraph reference)*****

Luffy snored like a train as he lied in bed beside Nami, who had her head resting on the captain's chest. However, their slumber was short-lived as they heard the familiar pattering of stampeding little paws.

"...Oh, no, not again...!" Luffy groaned, and before long, Aika, in her Wolf Form, and Kumi, leapt onto the bed, causing the two to yelp in surprise.

"WAKE UP, WAKE UP!" Aika shouted.

"Ugh...Aika," Luffy scolded. "What did we tell you about doing that?!"

"Sorry," Aika answered, "but come outside! It snowed last night!"

"It did?" Nami asked. "Not that I'm surprised."

"Come on!" Aika exclaimed, hopping up and down excitedly. "Let's go play in it!"

"Can't we wait a little first?" Luffy asked. "It's still pretty early. At least let Sanji make breakfast before we go out. Can't play on an empty tummy, right?"

"That's true," Aika concurred.

"The snow's not going anywhere, Aika," Nami assured. "As long as we stay near the island's shore, the snow will stay put."

"Okay!" Aika replied. "Shishishishi!"

"Shishishishishi!" Luffy laughed.

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by Eren's Titan Form (Attack on Titan reference)***  
**  
After a couple more hours, Aika had decided she didn't want to wait any longer, so she went to go wake the others again. This time, though, she saw there was no need, for she saw that the grownups were already awake and dressed for the snow. After a warm breakfast, the Straw Hats had gotten ready for a day of playtime in the snow.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Aika asked, wagging her wolf tail and pointing to the island. "Let's go already!"

"Yeah!" Luffy cheered.

"Someone's eager, aren't they?" asked Robin.

"Never fails," Nami said. "You know how much Aika loves the snow."

Thus began a day of snowy fun for the Straw Hats. Aika laughed as she and Kumi chased each other in the snow with Luffy running alongside them. Usopp smiled as he helped Chopper build a snowman while Brook built a snow whale. Blizzard snored as he lied on the snow...only for Luffy to end up spraying him in the face with snow.

 _"HEY!"_ Blizzard shouted.

"Sorry, buddy!" Luffy replied. "Didn't mean it!"

Blizzard growled as he shook the flurry out of his already snow-white fur before he lied back down to continue his snooze.

"OW!" Franky exclaimed, standing on a giant wall of snow with actual cannons sticking out of it. "Check out my SUPER Snow Fort!"

"Wow!" Luffy shouted with starry eyes. "Franky, that's awesome!"

"So cool!" Aika added.

"Ahahahahahaha!" Franky laughed. "Glad you liked it!"

"Hey, Moss-head," said Sanji, causing Zoro to glare at him. "You're not doing anything. Why don't you go into the woods and get me some firewood. I'm gonna be making stew for lunch later."

"Yeah, fine," Zoro said as he looked at the others. "Better than watching this nonsense."

"I'll go with him, Sanji," Robin spoke up. "You know...to make sure he comes back okay."

"Thank you, Robin," Sanji smiled as the two Straw Hats went off into the woods together to collect firewood. "Now then..." he looked over at some wild vegetables he found, such as carrots, turnips, a few onions, and a wild boar that Blizzard caught for him earlier. "Let's get these ingredients prepped."

Meanwhile, Aika and Kumi were making pretty snow angels in the snow, laughing happily as they did so, but Luffy got bored with running around in the snow, so he decided to come up with another game.

"Snowball fight!" he shouted as he threw a snowball at Usopp, who cried out as he fell to the ground.

"Luffy!" Usopp shouted. "That's it!"

With that, he quickly rolled a snowball into his hands before he threw it at Luffy, who ducked down.

"Shishishishi!" Luffy laughed. "Missed me!"

Soon, snowballs were thrown back and forth between the captain and sniper, and no sooner had the snowball fight begun that Chopper and Blizzard found themselves caught in the crossfire.

"Hey!" the reindeer and wolf-dog shouted before they started tossing snowballs around, as well. It soon turned into a free-for-all snowball fight. Aika and Kumi sat with Brook, watching as snowballs were tossed this way and that way.

"I never really did like snowball fights," Aika answered. "I prefer to run around in it."

 _"...Is that allowed?"_ Kumi asked as she spotted Luffy, hefting a giant snowball over his head.

"Take...THIS!" Luffy shouted as he tossed it at Usopp, who screamed before he was completely buried, to everyone's humor.

"What's the matter, Usopp?" Nami asked. "Can't handle your own medicine?"

"Ah, shut up...!" Usopp grumbled while Luffy pointed and laughed at him. "Hey, Luffy!"

"Yeah?" Luffy asked, only to duck when the sniper threw another snowball at him, only for the Straw Hat Captain to duck down and the ball of ice crystals to hit Franky in the back of his head.

"Hey!" Franky shouted.

"He did it!" Luffy answered, pointing a finger at Usopp.

"W-wait, Franky!" Usopp cried.

"You wanna play, huh?" Franky asked, manning his shoulder cannons. "Okay, then...let's play!"

"Oh, no," Nami muttered with slight dread.

Before long, Franky started shooting snowballs out of his cannons, causing Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, and Blizzard to run for cover.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Franky laughed. "Who's laughing now, chumps?!"

"You'll never get us, Franky!" shouted Luffy.

"Never say die!" Usopp yelled.

"We'll never surrender!" added Chopper, with Blizzard barking in agreement, and soon, snowballs were flying all over the place.

"Yohohohoho!" Brook chortled. "Things certainly got lively all of a sudden, didn't they?"

"They sure did," Aika answered.

Just then, Zoro and Robin returned with some firewood, as promised.

"This enough for you, cook?" Zoro asked, holding a giant pile of wood on a small sled behind him.

"Uh...yeah," Sanji answered. "Thanks."

Just then, **SPLAT!** A stray snowball flew and hit Zoro in the face, causing him to growl as he turned to glare at Luffy and the others.

"All right...!" he hissed. "Which one of you threw that?!"

"...He did it!" Usopp, Chopper, Franky, and Blizzard shouted, pointing at Luffy.

"Oh, real nice, you guys," Luffy hissed.

"...Zoro?" Robin asked in a slight warning tone. "What are you doing?"

Everyone felt their hearts jump when they saw the swordsman put on his black bandanna.

"Uhh...Zoro," Luffy said, nervously as he started to back away. "Come on, let's not be rash, here!"

 _"Luffy, I don't think he's listening,"_ Blizzard replied as he also started to back away as Zoro advanced, his swords dragging along the snow and his eye glowing dangerously red.

"...Well, that settles it," Usopp said. "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"

And run they did, with Zoro in hot pursuit, using his swords to pelt snowballs at them!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Chopper screamed as he scampered alongside Usopp. "I DON'T WANNA DIE~!"

Robin sighed and shook her head as she went to sit down with Aika, Kumi, and Brook.

"Zoro sure is scary sometimes, Aunt Robin," Aika mused.

"Yes, sweetheart, he can be," Robin replied as she got out a book and started reading.

"Indeed," Brook concurred. "I just hope he doesn't get too carried away."

 _"You meant that's not carried away?"_ Kumi asked, incredulously.

"AAAAAAAAAHH!" Luffy screamed as he ducked another snowball. "ZORO, SETTLE DOWN!"

"QUICK!" Franky called. "INTO MY SUPER SNOW FORT!"

On that, the fleeing group jumped into the Super Snow Fort.

"Man the cannons!" Franky ordered. "Prepare for the counterattack!"

"Roger that!" Usopp replied as he manned a cannon, preparing to fire at Zoro, who glared up at them.

"You think that's gonna stop me?!" he questioned.

"GET HIM!" Luffy shouted, and soon, the cannons fired giant snowballs at the swordsman, who easily cut right through them.

"You're gonna have to do better than that!" Zoro shouted.

"Should've seen that coming," Blizzard muttered. "What do we do now?!"

"Keep firing!" Franky ordered as he and Usopp kept shooting more snowballs at Zoro, who used his swords to lob more of his own at them.

"Seriously?!" Nami asked. "What a bunch of overgrown-"

 **SPLAT!** The navigator stopped, mid-sentence when a snowball smacked her right in the face...but it instantly melted away as Nami's face burned red with anger.

"Boys...!" Nami hissed as she got up, whipping out her Clima-Tact.

"Uh-oh...!" Luffy squeaked.

"Oh, crap...!" Zoro muttered with dread.

"Happy now, Zoro?!" Usopp questioned, hiding behind a cannon. "You brought down thunder!"

"We are so boned...!" Franky whispered.

"Mommy...!" Chopper cried as he and Blizzard huddled together in fear.

"I take back what I said about Zoro," Aika said, hiding behind Robin. "Big Sis Nami is a lot scarier than he is when she gets mad!"

 _"You can say that again...!"_ Kumi squeaked.

"Yohohoho...!" Brook chortled, nervously.

"Oh, dear," Robin said, worriedly. "Looks like Nami's about to unleash her fury in the wrong way again."

But just when the navigator was about to unleash her wrath...

"Lunch is ready!" Sanji called out. "Come and get it!"

Upon hearing that, everyone looked back as Sanji stirred a pot of stew.

"Lunch!" the D. Siblings exclaimed as they ran to the bonfire spot.

"...You know what?" Nami asked. "I could eat, too."

"Phew!" Usopp sighed. "Thank you, Sanji."

"Lunchtime!" Chopper cheered as he ran out of the Super Snow Fort with Blizzard following behind him.

"Man, that smells SUPER good!" shouted Franky.

With that, everyone went to enjoy their lunch, sitting around the bonfire and talking about their day.

"I can't believe I was about to wallop you guys over a little snowball," Nami said.

"Well, I wasn't exactly watching where I was throwing," Zoro added.

"Still, that was fun!" Luffy grinned. "Shishishishishi!"

"Yeah! We really have to do it again!" Usopp added.

"You know, guys," Nami began, "I've been thinking...the log here doesn't set for a while. Maybe we can spend a few days here, on a vacation or something!"

Aika gasped at this.

"Really, Big Sis?!" she asked. "Really?! REALLY?!"

"Well, it's Luffy's decision, really," Nami said.

"Why not?" Luffy asked. "Sounds fun to me! Since when did we take a vacation?"

"I'm in," Zoro spoke up.

"Yohohoho!" Brook laughed. "A vacation in a winter wonderland! How exciting!"

"I'm game!" Franky added.

"Me, too!" Chopper answered. "I love the snow!"

"Same here," Blizzard concurred. "It's been a little too hot for me, lately, anyway."

"I'd like a snow day or two!" Kumi added.

"Plus, that gives me a chance for more hot meals to make on during the winter," Sanji piped up.

"And I could use practice making snowmen!" Usopp said. "Hell, I could even use them for target practice!"

Robin only chuckled at this.

"Well, there's our verdict," she said. "Looks like we'll be spending a few days here."

"Yay!" Aika cheered as she ran around in her Wolf Form, yipping excitedly. "Snow days! Fun for all!"

The rest of the Straw Hats laughed at this, but then, the young D. Carrier began to yawn.

"Wow..." she muttered. "I feel tired."

"Having fun in the snow will do that to you," Luffy said. "Let's get you back on the Sunny so you can have a nice warm nap. Then you'll have energy to play later!"

"Okay," Aika replied sleepily as she yawned, once more, causing her older half-brother to pick her up and carry her back to the ship while Nami followed behind, carrying a snoozing Kumi in her arms. Thus ended a day of snowy fun for the Straw Hats...but this was just the beginning.

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

Review, please!


	12. Ice Skating

One Piece Prompts  
Ice Skating

Part 2 of Winter Series

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Monkey D. Aika and Kumi © Me

* * *

It was the second day of the Straw Hats' winter vacation. Aika, ever enthusiastic about playing in the frost, was the first to leave the ship, followed by Kumi, Luffy, and Nami. The others went off their own to do whatever else they wanted during their stay on the island.

As Aika and Kumi ran along the path, they stopped upon seeing a lake in front of them, frozen to ice.

"Wow...!" Aika said in amazement. "Look at that lake!"

"Whoa, it's all frozen!" Luffy added.

"Hmm...I wonder," Nami said as she carefully tread out onto the icy surface, to Luffy, Aika, and Kumi's concern.

"Hey, careful, Nami!" Luffy called out.

"Relax, Luffy," Nami said as she lightly walked across the ice, even stomping her foot against surface to make sure it was thick enough. When no crack had formed, the navigator smiled before she looked to the others.

"See?" she asked. "It's safe!"

Luffy grinned, relieved to see that his navigator hadn't fallen through the ice.

"Which means," Nami began, "I can do this!"

On that, she ran across the lake and started skating, her boots gliding perfectly across the frozen surface. Luffy, Aika, and Kumi all gasped in awe upon seeing her graceful performance...but none were more in awe than Luffy was as Nami twirled and leapt around on the ice, her eyes closed as if she was imagining herself in a world of her own.

"Whoa...!" he whispered. "Nami looks so awesome, doing that...!"

"What do you think, guys?" Nami asked as she stopped to look at her audience, who cheered and hollered.

"Big Sis Nami, you're amazing!" Aika exclaimed, with Kumi yipping in agreement, causing Nami to chuckle.

"Thank you, sweetheart," she said before she glanced up at Luffy. "Hey, Luffy, you wanna try?"

"You bet I do!" Luffy answered before he backed up a bit, then ran towards the lake with reckless abandon, then he jumped off the bank with the soles of his sandals landing on the ice...but the sliding he did was not as graceful as he had expected it to be. Instead, his feet twisted and slipped around erratically before he finally fell forward, his chin landing on the ice and his rump up in the air. He slid across the ice for a few seconds before stopping right in front of Nami, who looked at him in concern.

"You okay, Luffy?" Nami asked.

"Oh, yeah!" Luffy answered. "I just did that for a laugh."

"It sure was funny to me, Big Brother!" Aika called. "Shishishi!"

 _"Yeah, that was wacky!"_ Kumi added.

"Shishishishishi!" Luffy laughed. "O-okay, this time, for real though!"

"Do you need help?" the navigator offered, holding out her hand to him.

"No, no," Luffy declined as he began to stand up. "I got it, really!"

But no sooner than the moment he was on his feet again, he soon slipped and fell right back on the ice, this time on his rear, which caused Aika and Kumi to laugh again. Nami chuckled, as well, albeit halfheartedly this time, while Luffy attempted to get up again, only to fall back down, once again on his face with his butt in the air.

"Ugh...!" he groaned, his frustration growing as he tried to get up once more, but this time, he couldn't so much as take two seconds without his legs doing an involuntary split. By now, Aika and Kumi weren't really laughing anymore, and Nami only covered her face in slight embarrassment. Of course the navigator knew why Luffy wouldn't let her help him: he was just too stubbornly proud that way, one of the many things that frustrated her so much, even before they started dating.

"C'mon," Luffy grunted as he tried to stand up, once more. "Stand up right!"

"Luffy?" Nami asked, getting his attention, before he held out his hand to her. "How about...I teach you? Okay?"

A pause...but then Luffy grinned.

"Okay!" he answered as he took his navigator's hand, allowing her to help him to his feet. However, he soon slipped backwards, accidentally pulling the navigator down with him. Nami gasped as she found her chest pressed up against Luffy's, a blush forming on their cheeks as they laughed, and Aika and Kumi squealed silently at the sight. After getting the laughter out of their systems, Nami proceeded to help her captain to his feet once again. Then, she held her right hand to his back while holding his right hand with her left hand.

"Put your arm on my back, Luffy," Nami told him. "I'll support you."

Luffy nodded before he held Nami's back.

"Now," Nami began, "just watch and copy me, okay?"

"Got it!" Luffy nodded.

"Now then," Nami said as she began to push her legs across the ice, causing herself and Luffy to slide. "Push, push, glide. Push, push, glide."

"Push, push, glide," Luffy repeated as he copied the action. "Push, push, glide!"

"That's it!" Nami said. "You're doing it!"

"Yay, Big Brother!" Aika cheered.

"Way to go, Luffy!" Kumi added.

"Wow!" Luffy exclaimed. "I'm doing it! I'm ice-skating!"

Nami laughed as she and Luffy skated across the ice. Then, she began to let go, and at first, it seemed that Luffy was going to fall down, again, but he managed to keep his balance, this time. He beamed before he looked at Nami, who laughed as she skated along in front of him, and then, she reached out her hand to him once more, causing him to gently grasp it with his own. Soon after, he pulled Nami close to him and twirled her around, and after that, he picked Nami up off the ice, holding her over his head, sending her into peals of giggles before he gently set her back down, to Aika and Kumi's amazement.

"Luffy!" she exclaimed. "I'm starting to think that maybe you were playing dumb!"

"Maybe I was," Luffy grinned, causing Nami to laugh as they glided across the lake, circling around and around until they formed an 8-shape. After that, Luffy tossed Nami up into the air, causing her to flip around before she outstretched her limbs and fell towards the captain, who caught her in his arms, twirling on the spot as he embraced her before they they stopped, with Nami touching his forehead, affectionately.

"Yay~!" Aika cheered, clapping her hands. "Hooray!"

 _"All right!"_ Kumi howled. _"Yahoo!"  
_  
Luffy and Nami laughed before they took their bows, proud of their performance.

"That was so cool!" Aika shouted. "You two were amazing!"

"Thanks, Aika," Luffy smiled. "I couldn't have done it without Nami."

Nami smiled as she held Luffy's hand.

"Hey!"

The quartet looked up to see Sanji, standing on top of the hill, blowing a puff of smoke into the air.

"There you are," he said. "I've been trying to call you for a while. I got some hot chocolate ready at the ship!"

"Hot chocolate!" Aika cheered as she and Kumi ran to the hill.

"Sweet!" Luffy added as he prepared to follow, only to slip on the ice, once more in his haste, and, due to holding Nami's hand, accidentally brought the navigator down with him, causing her to gasp as she found herself in the same position they were in before...but again, they only laughed at their predicament before the latter kissed the former on the lips, causing them to moan softly before they pulled away. Then, Luffy stood up once more, this time helping Nami to her feet before they walked off the lake and headed back to the _Sunny_ for their hot chocolate.

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

Review, please!


	13. Sledding

One Piece Prompts:  
Sledding

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, and Kumi © Me

* * *

"Whee~!" Aika cheered as she and Kumi slid down a snowy hill, spraying powdery snow to both sides as they did until they landed at the bottom.

 _"That was awesome!"_ Kumi exclaimed, wagging her tail. "Let's go again!"

"Look out below~!" Luffy called as he slid down the hill on his feet, only to end up tripping and rolling down instead before he landed in front of Aika and Kumi, who both laughed as they sat on his head.

"You're really funny, Big Brother!" Aika said.

"Shishishishi!" Luffy laughed. "I guess it was pretty funny, huh?"

 _"Honestly, Luffy,"_ Blizzard started, _"can't you just slide down the hill like a normal person- WAAH!"  
_  
He then slipped and fell down the hill on his bottom, yowling all the way before he fell down and landed headfirst on the bottom, right in between Luffy and the pups.

"You were saying?" Luffy asked, smugly.

 _"Shut up,"_ Blizzard growled, his voice muffled by the snow, causing Luffy, Aika, and Kumi to laugh.

"Us next!" Chopper exclaimed as Usopp put down a wooden sled, which they both sat upon. "Ready, Usopp?!"

"You bet your blue nose!" Usopp replied. "Let's do this thing!"

With that, they slid down on the sled together, cheering the whole way down and even sliding along the ground as they hit the bottom...but in the midst of their cheering, they failed to notice a large rock in their way.

"Usopp! Chopper!" Aika cried. "Look out!"

Upon hearing that warning, the two gasped upon seeing the stone, and tried to steer out of the way, but the sled stayed on its course. They even tried to make it stop by putting their heels out, but even that didn't stop it!

"It's no good, Usopp!" Chopper cried. "We're going too fast! I can't steer the sled!"

"Then we have no choice!" Usopp shouted. "ABANDON SLED!"

With they, jumped off into a pile of snow while the sled kept speeding off without them...and smashed right into the rock, causing it to shatter into pieces.

"Guys!" Luffy called as he and Blizzard ran over to help them up. "You two okay?!"

"More or less," Usopp answered. "Thanks, Luffy."

"No problem," Luffy replied.

"Oh, no!" Chopper cried as he saw the shattered remains of their sled. "Our sled!"

"Oh, bummer," Luffy said.

 _"That's a drag, all right,"_ Blizzard added.

"Well, what are you gonna do now?" Aika asked. "You can't sled in the snow without...well, a sled."

"Don't sweat it, you guys..."

The group looked up to see Franky standing on a hill, holding a long, metal sled with steel runners, painted light blue with navy blue stars on the topside, and a pair of turbines on the back.

"...because ol' Franky's got you covered!" the shipwright exclaimed.

"Whoa!" Luffy exclaimed as he ran up to the cyborg. "Franky, what is that?! It looks so cool!"

"Just my latest project," Franky answered. "I call it the Franky SUPER Sled 3000! Steel runners, sleek, aerodynamic shape, and turbo engines! Guaranteed for snow day fun!"

"Cool~!" Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, and Aika exclaimed with starry eyes.

"There's just one thing," Franky answered. "I haven't tested it, yet, so I was wondering if you guys could do it for me."

"I wanna do it! I wanna do it!" Luffy exclaimed.

"You kidding?!" Usopp asked. "You'll crash the thing the moment you sit on it!"

"Will not!" Luffy argued.

"Will too!" Usopp argued back.

"Will not!"

"Will too!"

"Will not!"

"Will not!"

"Will too- D'OH! Not that Bugs Bunny thing again!"

"All right, all right!" Franky shouted. "There's only one way to settle this: with a game of rock-paper-scissors. Winner gets to test the sled."

Luffy and Usopp nodded before they faced each other.

"Rock-paper-scissors, shoot!" they shouted as they held out their hands. Usopp held his hand out flat while Luffy had his hand balled up in a fast.

"Paper covers rock," Usopp smirked. "I win!"

"Dammit!" Luffy cursed. "I gotta stop going with rock every time!"

"Usopp, can I test the sled out with you?" Chopper asked. "Please? Can I, please?"

"Aww, of course, Chopper!" Usopp answered as he sat on the sled. "Come on!"

"Whoo-hoo!" Chopper cheered as he sat shotgun with him. "Blizzard, you come, too! There's plenty of room!"

 _"...I think I'm too big for that thing,"_ Blizzard answered.

"C'mon, Blizzard!" Chopper called. "Please~?"

A pause...but then Blizzard sighed before he got up and sat behind the Usopp, the sled making a slight creaking sound as he did.

"So how do we start this, Franky?" Usopp asked.

"Just the pull the lever on the right," Franky answered.

Usopp nodded before he pulled on the lever to the right of the sleigh, and at that moment, the engines roared to life.

"Whoa!" the trio exclaimed as the engines turned on.

"Oh, man, this is gonna be awesome!" Usopp said, excitedly.

"5...4...3...2...1!" Franky counted down, and before long, **BOOM!** The sled took off in a flash, with its passengers screaming the whole way.

"WOW!" Luffy exclaimed as he watched them, putting his hand on his hat to keep it from blowing away.

"TOO FAST~!" Chopper cried.

 _"GET ME OFF THIS CRAZY THING!"_ Blizzard howled.

"WAHOOOOOOOOO~!" Usopp hollered. "GO BABY, GO!"

"HEY!" Luffy called. "LET ME HAVE A TURN WHEN YOU'RE FINISHED!"

"I don't know if I want you on that thing, Big Brother," Aika said, worriedly, while Kumi gulped and whined.

"So far, so good," Franky smirked.

As they rode across the snowy hills, Usopp flipped the lever to another setting, which made it go a bit faster than before. In fact, the snow on the ground seemed to melt as they slid across the ground, revealing green grass beneath it.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH~!" Chopper screamed as he clutched at the sides. "USOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPP!"

"Whoa, wait a minute!" Franky cried. "I don think it's meant to go THAT fast!"

"You said they should test it!" Luffy retorted.

"Uhh...shouldn't we do something?!" Aika asked.

 _"Like what?!"_ Kumi questioned.

 _"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP~!"_ Blizzard howled out.

"HANG ON, BUDDY!" Luffy called as he ran after them. "I'M COMING!"

"Wait for us!" Aika called as she and Kumi followed.

"Hey, wait up!" Franky added as he began to join in the chase, as well.

"USOPP! STOP THE SLED!" Chopper cried.

"All right, all right, just hang on!" Usopp answered as he reached for the lever, but as he pulled on it, it suddenly snapped in half! "Uhh...uh-oh."

 _"...You moron...!"_ Blizzard grumbled.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGH!" Chopper shrieked. "WE CAN'T STOP!"

"FRANKY! HELP!" Usopp shouted. "THE LEVER BROKE OFF!"

"Do something, Luffy!" Franky shouted.

"I'm on it!" Luffy answered as he stretched his arms and grabbed at the sled's runners, hoping his added weight would at least slow it down, but he soon found himself getting dragged along the ground. "WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAA~!"

"Big Brother!" Aika cried.

 _"Not good!"_ Kumi added.

As they sped through the snow, they nearly ran over a squirrel searching for nuts in the frost, but the little rodent quickly scurried out of the way, then squeaked angrily at them while shaking a fist. Then, they crashed through several trees, getting twigs and pine needles in their hair and mouths in the process, and afterwards, Luffy slammed headfirst against a boulder before he continued to get dragged. Before long, the four ended up flying off a high, causing them to ascend and fly through the air...and head straight for a frozen lake.

"LOOK OUT!" Franky called out.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" the quarter screamed before the sled smashed through the ice and they disappeared beneath the water's surface.

"Big Brother! Chopper!" Aika cried.

 _"Blizzard! Usopp!"_ Kumi called out.

"I'll get 'em!" Franky answered as he dove in after them.

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by Choromatsu trying to sleep (Mr. Osomatsu reference)***  
**  
Sometime later, Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, and Blizzard are huddled up in the kitchen, wrapped up in blankets with their feet dunked in buckets of hot water, shivering from the cold.

"My goodness!" Brook exclaimed. "You all looked chilled to the BONE, you do! Yohohohohoho!"

 _"W-w-w-we are N-N-NEVER d-d-doing that again...!"_ Blizzard stuttered as Kumi curled up next to him.

"S-s-s-s-so c-c-c-c-cold...!" Luffy shivered, his teeth chattering and his nose running. "ACHOO!"

"Poor Big Brother," Aika said as she hugged Luffy, who smiled and sniffled.

"Awww, Aika...you're s-s-so s-s-s-sweet," he said.

"Here," Sanji said as he handed them bowls of hot chicken soup. "Eat up."

"Th-th-thanks, Sanji...!" Usopp said as he ate a spoonful.

"W-w-w-we're lucky that...we only g-g-g-got a way with c-c-colds and nothing else," Chopper added.

"Sorry about the sled, guys," Franky spoke up. "That was a bust."

"Clearly," Nami muttered, while Robin chuckled.

"Well...it was f-f-fun while it l-l-lasted...!" Usopp shivered. "But maybe next time, you shouldn't put jets on it."

"Noted," Franky answered. "Maybe I'll reinvent it with a new braking system...and a steering wheel."

"Much appreciated," Chopper added with a smile.

"At least you all enjoyed yourselves," Robin spoke up.

"But next time," Zoro started, "be more careful, you idiots."

 _"It wasn't even my idea!"_ Blizzard barked, causing everyone to laugh.

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

Review, please!


	14. Tree

One Piece Prompts:  
Tree

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, and Kumi © Me

* * *

Day 4 of the vacation, and Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, and Blizzard have recovered from their colds. The Straw Hats had just gotten through eating lunch, so they were taking this time to relax...especially Luffy, who had engorged himself, yet again, and was snoring on the deck. At first, Nami expressed concern about Luffy sleeping in the cold, but then Zoro jokingly told her that all that fat would probably keep him warm, which caused her to laugh. Meanwhile, Blizzard took Aika and Kumi out for a bit of agility training, promising he'd bring the girls back home safely, not that Luffy was too worried, for he knew that the wolf-dog would protect them both.

However, Luffy's naptime came to an abrupt end when he felt a familiar set of little paws bouncing up and down on his belly, and a voice shouting out "Wake up! Wake up!". With a groan, Luffy opened his eyes and saw Aika sitting on his tummy, her tail wagging and her face beaming with excitement.

"Aika, what's going on?" Luffy asked as he sat up.

"Come with me, Big Brother!" Aika answered. "There's something I wanna show you and everybody else!"

"Can't it wait until I'm done with my nap, first?" Luffy asked.

"Nope!" Aika grinned. "Shishishi!"

"Figures," Luffy said. "Okay, just gimme a minute."

"Yay!" Aika cheered as she jumped off Luffy's belly. "C'mon, let's go!"

"Never a moment's rest with that kid," Luffy sighed.

"Now you know how WE feel about you," Sanji quipped.

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by Korra earthbending (Legend of Korra reference)***  
**  
A little while later, the Straw Hats are walking through the forest together, following after Aika and Kumi.

"We there yet?" Luffy asked, having slimmed down to his regular figure.

"Almost!" Aika answered. "I know it's around here somewhere..."

"What's around here somewhere?" Zoro asked. "All I see are trees."

"I know!" Aika replied. "That's what we're looking for!"

"You mean you dragged us off the _Sunny_ for something we've already seen before?!" Usopp questioned in annoyance.

"But you've never seen a tree like this one!" Aika rebuked.

 _"Hey, Aika!"_ Kumi called out. _"I found it!"_

"All right!" Aika cheered before she ran off in Kumi's direction. "Come on you guys! Kumi says she found it!"

"This better be worth it," Usopp said.

"Oh, come now, Usopp," Robin said. "Whatever Aika found, I'm sure it'd be quite interesting."

Soon the Straw Hats arrived at the location Aika had brought them to...and the sight they saw was nothing short of breathtaking: it was a pine tree, yes...but it was taller and wider than all the trees in the forest, and the way the snow on its branches sparkled in the light of the sun...it was truly a sight to behold.

"What do you think?" Aika asked.

"...Okay...I take back everything I said," Usopp said. "This is...amazing...!"

"It's huge~!" Luffy exclaimed.

"How beautiful!" Nami added.

"Yeah! What a big, pretty tree!" Chopper chimed in.

"Okay, I'll admit," Zoro started, "this is impressive, kiddo."

"Shishishishi!" Aika giggled.

"This sure isn't your run-of-the-mill Christmas tree, that's for sure," Sanji smirked.

"Funny you should say that, actually," Aika said. "I was thinking...maybe we could decorate it!"

"Decorate it?" Brook inquired.

"It's way too big for the _Sunny_ , though, Aika," Nami pointed out.

"I didn't say we had to bring it to the _Sunny_ ," Aika said. "We can decorate it here, in the forest!"

"Sounds like fun to me!" Luffy spoke up.

"OW!" Franky exclaimed. "Sounds SUPER fun! I actually have ornaments I'd like to use, and this sounds like a good time to use 'em!"

Robin chuckled.

"Things are certainly getting lively now, aren't they?" she asked.  
 _  
"Well, Aika,_ " Blizzard started, _"looks like we're gonna have us a Christmas tree...even if we can't bring it home."  
_  
"Yay!" Aika and Kumi cheered.

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by Riza Hawkeye (Fullmetal Alchemsit reference)***  
**  
Blizzard dragged a sleigh full of all sorts of decorations: ribbons, ornaments, garland, all sorts of things...except for lights, of course, since they had no way to power them, anyway.

"This is gonna be so much fun!" Aika chirped as she bounded around Luffy, happily.

"You ready for this?" Luffy asked, causing his younger half-sister to nod her head, eagerly. "Okay then! Let's start decorating, you guys!"

"Yeah!" the Straw Hats cheered, and soon, decorating had commenced. Nami tied pretty red ribbons with sparkling silver glitter on the lower hanging branches, going in an up-and-down pattern with each one, while Robin and Brook helped with the higher branches, the former using her powers. Blizzard helped Chopper hang up various glass ornaments on the branches by having the little reindeer stand on his head while Sanji spread around some tinsel. Usopp, using his sniping skills, fired a holly garland up into the air that wrapped delicately around the tree.

"Yes!" the sniper cheered. "Nothing but tree!"

"Ahahahaha!" Luffy laughed. "That's funny!"

"Hey, guys, check these out!" Franky called as he held up various ornaments that looked like Jolly Rogers...but they all had some familiar looks to them.

"Wow!" Aika exclaimed as she picked up one that looked a skull with black hair and a butterfly hair clip. "Look at them! They look like us!"

"Cool!" Luffy added.

"Yohohoho!" Brook laughed. "How wonderful!"

"That's right!" Franky replied. "These are our signature Jolly Rogers! I figured we could add our own little touch to the tree!"

"That's wonderful, Franky!" Nami said as she picked hers out: a Jolly Roger with wild, orange hair and a bandanna with the same design as her halter top.

"Don't you mean...MMMMMM...SUPER~!" Franky shouted as he struck his signature pose, causing everyone to laugh.

"Mine's better looking than yours, Moss-head," said Sanji, holding up his Jolly Roger ornament.

"Yeah right!" Zoro barked.

"Now, boys," Robin said, "we're supposed to be having fun. Let's not start any fights right now."

"Yeah, sure," Zoro muttered.

"Fine," Sanji grumbled under his breath before they went back to decorating the tree. Before too long, they had pretty much decorated every branch there was, and they all stood back to admire their work.

"Now that's what I call a Christmas tree!" Usopp exclaimed.

"Hmm...I dunno," Chopper said, tilting his head to the side. "It feels like there's something missing."

"There is?" Luffy asked.

"But we decorated this tree from top to bottom," Franky spoke up. "What could be missing?"

That's when Aika gasped.

"Oh, oh!" she chirped. "I know, I know!" She ran off for a moment, only to come back with a golden yellow plastic star.

"Of course!" Nami exclaimed. "We forgot the star!"

"But the tree is so tall," Chopper said. "Aika, even you can't climb up there."

"Not a problem!" Luffy declared as he picked Aika up. "Ready, sis?"

"Yeah!" Aika cheered. "Let's do it!"

 _"Luffy, be careful with her,"_ Blizzard warned.

"I know what I'm doing, buddy," Luffy replied. "Relax!"

 **WROING!** The Straw Hat Captain stretched his arm to the top of the tree while holding Aika in his other arm.

"Gum-Gum...ROCKET!" Luffy exclaimed as he and Aika flew to the top of the tree, being careful not to knock off any of the ornaments or tinsel. They soon landed safely at the top with Aika gently placing the star on the tree.

"There," she smiled. "It's perfect."

"Shishishishi!" Luffy laughed. "Ready to get down?"

"Uh-huh!" Aika nodded, but just as they were about to, she seemed to spot something in the tree before she reached in and grabbed it, just when Luffy leapt down and landed in front of the others.

"...It's beautiful...!" Robin whispered.

"You said it," Sanji agreed.

"Such an amazing tree," Brook added.

"It's...mmm...SUPER~!" Franky exclaimed, striking his signature pose.

"How pretty!" Chopper chimed in.

"This is probably gonna be a 1 on the Top Ten Most Decorated Christmas Trees list," Usopp spoke up. "Just saying."

"Not bad," Zoro grinned.  
 _  
"I wanna do this again, next year,"_ Kumi said as she sat on Blizzard's head.

 _"Oh, don't worry, Kumi,"_ Blizzard assured. _"We're definitely doing this, next year."  
_  
Just then, Aika cleared her throat, causing Luffy and Nami to look at her.

"What's up, Aika?" Luffy inquired, and that's when Aika pulled out a piece of mistletoe from behind her back and held it over his and Nami's heads.

"You know what this is for, right?" she asked, causing Luffy and Nami to glance at each other before they smiled. Aika giggled, thinking that the captain and navigator would kiss...but then, Luffy and Nami kissed both her cheeks, causing her to gasp in surprise.

"Awww~!" the Straw Hats, except Zoro, cooed, while Aika giggled at Luffy and Nami nuzzling her cheeks.

"We love you, Aika," Nami said.

"Thanks for having us do this," Luffy added.

"You're welcome," Aika answered. "I love you guys, too."

On that, the Straw Hats all joined together in a group hug as they marveled at the tree they decorated together.

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

Man, today's One Piece chapter was f***ed up, wasn't it?! I can't believe that happened!

Anyway, review please!


	15. Christmas

One Piece Prompts:  
Christmas

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, and Kumi © Me

* * *

Day 5...the final day of the vacation. Today was also a very special holiday, one that the Straw Hats would all celebrate together. As the sun rose beyond the horizon of the sea, the Straw Hats still slept peacefully on the _Thousand Sunny_...all except a certain half-pint.

As Luffy snored in bed with Nami lying next to him, when suddenly, they felt something pull itself up on the bed, and soon after, a hand reached over and pulled open Luffy's eyelid.

"Wake up, Big Brother!" Aika called, causing Luffy to sigh as he woke up.

"Well, at least you didn't jump on me, this time," he mused. "What's up, sis?"

"It's Christmas!" Aika answered.

"Christmas?" Luffy repeated, still a bit half-asleep, until his eyes went wide. "W-wait, really?! It's Christmas?!"

"Look at the calendar!" Aika replied, causing her older half-brother to look up and see the dates crossed off until the 25th was circled.

"Holy smoke!" Luffy exclaimed as he went and shook Nami awake. "Nami! Wake up! It's Christmas!"

"Huh? Christmas?!" Nami asked as she sat up. "Today?!"

"Yes, today!" Aika answered. "C'mon, Big Sis!"

"Okay, okay, hang on!" Nami answered as she got out of bed. "Wait for us!"

Aika giggled as she ran out the door with Luffy and Nami, both hurrying to put on their coats, followed after her. As they made it outside, they saw the rest of the Straw Hats there...all surrounding colorfully wrapped boxes, all sitting on the deck in one big pile.

"Look at all these presents!" Usopp exclaimed.

"There's so many of them!" Chopper added.

"Well, what are we waiting for?!" Luffy asked before he leapt into the pile of presents, digging around for any one that was his. As he did, Chopper made a reach for a present, which had his name on the tag. He gently tore off the pink wrapping paper, opened the box, and gasped as he pulled out a red cap with jingle bells around the rim.

"Oh, wow!" he whispered as he took off his blue helmet and put the red cap over his signature pink top hat. "I love it!"  
 _  
"You're welcome,"_ Blizzard spoke up, causing Chopper to smile at him. _"Oh, and happy belated birthday."_

"Thank you, Blizzard," the little reindeer said as he stood up and hugged the wolf-dog's leg. "Oh! I got you something, too!"

He then gave Blizzard a box wrapped in white paper with snowflakes, which the wolf-dog opened to find a red scarf with a Christmas tree pattern.

 _"Oh, Chopper, it's beautiful,"_ Blizzard smiled. _"Thank you."  
_  
"Don't you have enough scarves?" Luffy asked, causing the wolf-dog to glare at him.

"Oh, what's this?" Nami asked as she pulled out a long box with orange wrapping paper with a poinsettia pattern.

"Oh! That's from me!" Luffy exclaimed. "Open it, Nami! Open it!"

"Okay, okay, hang on a second," Nami said as she tore off the paper and opened the box...only to gasp upon seeing a luxurious, blue-green fur coat. "Oh, my goodness, Luffy~!"

"Go ahead! Put it on!" Luffy urged, and Nami soon stripped herself of her old coat and put on the fur one, which was very thick and made her look a bit bigger than normal.

"Oh, Luffy, I love it!" Nami exclaimed. "Thank you!"

"He was gonna get you a really tacky sweater, instead," Sanji said. "Luckily I helped him."

"I still love it," Nami said. "Thank you, Luffy."

"Shishishishi!" Luffy laughed. "You're welcome, Nami!"

"Oh, I got you something, too!" Nami said as she gave Luffy a box wrapped in red with a snowman design. "Here you go, sweetie."

Luffy eagerly tore off the paper and opened the box, only to gasp in awe as he took out a black bicorne hat with a white feather sticking out and the Straw Hats' Jolly Roger on the front.

"No way!" Luffy exclaimed as he put it on his straw hat. "This is so awesome! Thanks, Nami!"

"I figured you'd like it," Nami said. "Merry Christmas, Luffy."

"I love you, so much," Luffy said as he hugged her and kissed her cheek.

"Here you go, Usopp," Franky spoke up as he handed Usopp a box with yellow wrapping paper and a green ribbon. "From yours truly!"

The sniper ripped off the paper, opened the box, and gasped as he took out a pair of goggles, the right lens having an extending scope.

"No way!" Usopp exclaimed as he put the goggles on. "Thanks, Franky! I can't wait to try these on the field!"

"No problem," Franky answered.

"Oh, and here's your gift," Usopp said as he gave Franky a box wrapped with light blue wrapping paper that had a snowflake pattern. "Open it!"

Franky did just that, and when he opened, he found an electric, cordless drill.

"Wow!" he exclaimed as he pushed the button, causing the drill bit to whir to life. "I always wanted one of these! Thanks, Usopp!"

"Here, Robin," Zoro said as she gave Robin a box wrapped in purple paper with a dark red ribbon. "For you. Merry Christmas."

Robin tore off the paper, only to gasp upon seeing that it was a set of archaeology tools, such as brushes, shovel, forceps, and a magnifying glass.

"Oh, Zoro, they're wonderful," said Robin as she kissed the swordsman's cheek. "Thank you, Tiger."

"No problem, Petals," Zoro replied.

"Here's your present," Robin said as she gave Zoro a pair of 70-pound dumbbells.

"Nice," Zoro smirked as he took them into his hands and started lifting them up and down, causing his muscles to flex. "Thanks, Robin."

"Hmm-hmm..." Robin chuckled.

"Hey, check out what I got!" Sanji said as he got out a pair of butchering scissors. "I've been needing something like these!"

"You're welcome," Zoro spoke up, taking the cook slightly by surprise...but then Sanji shrugged and prepared to head to the kitchen to put the scissors in a safe place.

"Wait, Sanji!" Brook called, holding up an envelope. "There's something else for you, too!"

Sanji soon returned and took the envelope into his hand, then looked down and saw the name on the back: Vivi.

"Vivi?" he whispered as he opened the envelope up and found a letter inside.

 _"Dear Sanji,_

Thank you so much for the sapphire necklace you sent me three months ago. I really appreciate that you still think of me, even we're both so far away from each other and it's been so long since I last saw you. I miss you and Luffy and everyone else, and I look forward to the day we get to meet again.

Love, Vivi.

P.S- Attached is a little present of my own. Hope you enjoy it."

Sanji then noticed something else inside the envelope, and when he took it out...his nose gushed blood, for it was a photo of Vivi, making a rather provocative pose in front of the camera...in a white, two-piece bikini with gold embroidery as she sat on the shores of Alabasta.

"...The lord is good...!" Sanji whispered.

"Hey, Sanji, what're you looking at?" Luffy asked.

"NONE OF YOUR BEESWAX!" Sanji barked, hiding the photo behind him. "GET OFF MY BACK!"

"Oh, what's this?" Brook asked as he picked up a box wrapped up in black-and-white striped paper with a silver ribbon. "To Brook...from Sanji!"

"Go ahead and open it," Sanji smiled, dropping his nervous demeanor.

And so the musician did, and when he opened the box, he found a perfectly polished brass saxophone!

"Yohohohoho!" Brook laughed. "How marvelous! Thank you, Sanji!"

"No problem," Sanji smiled.

"Here you go, Kumi," Aika said as she gave Kumi what looked like a cheeseburger, only to take the Akita pup by surprise when she squeezed it, causing it to let out a loud **SQUEAK!** "This is for you."  
 _  
"Wow!"_ Kumi cheered as she took the squeaky toy in her mouth and started biting on it, incessantly, causing it to let out a cacophony of squeaks. _"Thanks, Aika! I love it!"_

"Are you gonna be squeaking that thing all day long?!" Luffy asked, he and the rest of the Straw Hats covered their ears from the loud squeaking.

 _"What'd you say?!"_ Kumi asked, still biting on her toy.

As everyone enjoyed their presents, Aika seemed to be searching through the other gifts with a slight look of disappointment.

"...She's not here," she whispered, sadly.

"Hey, Aika!" Luffy called. "You want your present next? It's from all of us!"

A pause...but then Aika sighed before she turned and walked away from all the festivities and headed up to the figure, to everyone's concern.

"What's eating her?" Usopp asked.

"I don't know," Chopper answered.

"Aika?" asked Nami as she prepared to follow her. "Is everything okay?"

"I'll go talk to her," Luffy said as he went after his younger half-sister, who sat on the figurehead, hugging her knees to her chest with a despondent expression. The Straw Hat soon came to sit next to her, gently petting her on the head.

"You okay, sis?" Luffy asked. "I thought you'd be happy on this day."

"...I thought I would be," Aika answered, "but...that was before I realized I didn't get the one thing that I wanted this year."

"And what would that be?" Luffy asked.

"...To have my Mommy be with me on Christmas," Aika replied, "even though she's..."

"...Oh, I see," Luffy realized as he put his arm around her shoulder. "I understand, Aika...I know you'd really like for your mom to be with you on Christmas."

Aika sniffled and nodded her head.

"I would've liked Ace to be here," Luffy added, "but he's gone forever...and I had to accept that."

The younger D. Carrier looked up at the older, who gently wiped her eyes of any tears with his thumb.

"You know, Aika," Luffy said, "lemme tell you something a friend of mine told me once: what's gone is gone forever...that's why you have to appreciate what you have now. You've got Kumi with you...and you got Zoro, Usopp, Sanji, Nami, Chopper, Robin, Franky, Blizzard, Brook, Sabo, Koala...and more importantly...you got me."

Aika's eyes went wide as she looked up at her older half-brother, who smiled at her, causing her to smile back before she hugged him, which he returned.

"I love you, Big Brother," she whispered.

"I love you, too," Luffy replied. "Now come on, let's go back so you can open your present, okay?"

"Okay!" Aika chirped as they headed back to the deck, where the rest of the Straw Hats waited.

"Is everything all right, now?" Brook asked.

"Yep!" Luffy answered. "Shishishi!"

"Hey, Aika!" Nami said. "You ready for your present?"

"Yeah!" Aika answered.

"Here you go," Nami smiled as she gave her a box with dark red wrapping paper. Aika took the box and tore off the paper, and when she opened it...she gasped as she found a framed picture of all the Straw Hats, plus Kumi, surrounding her, as they all smiled at the camera.

"Well?" Usopp asked.

"What do you think, kiddo?" Zoro asked.

"...Thank you all so much...!" Aika whispered, sniffling. "I love all of you!"

"We love you, too, Aika," said the Straw Hats as they all came in for a group hug.

"Merry Christmas, Little Sis," Luffy added.

"Merry Christmas, Big Brother," Aika said. "Merry Christmas, everyone!"

 _"Hey, Aika!"_ Kumi called as she approached the group with one more box, this one wrapped in dark red wrapping paper with a Christmas ornament design. "There's one more present for you! But...it doesn't say who it's from."

Aika blinked curiously as she picked up the box, tore off the paper, and opened it...only for her jaw to drop upon seeing another framed picture...of a woman with long, back, curly hair, a diamond dragonfly hair clip, and a red sparkling dress, holding Aika, who only looked to be about 4 years old and had shorter hair in the picture, in her arms.

"...Mommy...!" Aika whispered with tears in her eyes.

Luffy smiled and hugged his little sister, who sniffled as she hugged him back.

"Well, Aika," Luffy began, "looks like you got what you wanted, after all."

"Yeah...I sure did," Aika smiled as she hugged the photo.

"C'mon, everybody!" Sanji called. "Who's hungry?!"

"Me!" Luffy exclaimed.

"I am, I am, I am!" Aika added, hopping up and down in excitement.

"I could eat," Zoro said.

"Me, too!" Chopper piped up.

"And me! Don't forget me!" Usopp spoke up.

"There'll be plenty for everybody," Sanji said. "Let's go!"

"Yohoho!" Brook chortled. "I'd love some takoyaki, if that's all right!"

"And cola for me!" Franky added.

"A cup of nice hot chocolate would be fine," Robin said.

Blizzard and Kumi both barked excitedly as everyone all filed into the halley. As the Straw Hats went to enjoy their meal...a top hat-wearing stranger sat on top of the library's roof, watching them go inside before he turned, revealing himself to be Sabo, who chuckled and put his finger to his lips before he winked and disappeared in an array of flames.

 **MERRY CHRISTMAS!**

* * *

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!

Review, please!


	16. Flowers

**Flowers**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, and Kumi © Me

* * *

It was another usual morning on the _Thousand Sunny_ , and everyone had just gotten through eating breakfast: French toast with strawberries and whipped cream. Now, the Straw Hats were just getting into their usual routines, such as Zoro lifting weights in the Crow's Nest, Franky doing a repair on the Cola Engine, Brook tuning his guitar, Sanji washing the dishes, Nami working on her maps for the day, Blizzard taking his usual after breakfast nap, and Usopp and Chopper getting ready to play a game of soccer.

As for Luffy, he was in bed taking a nap, due to eating too much at breakfast and gaining a stomachache as a result, even though he promised Aika he'd play with her. So, with nothing to do, Aika was left bored...not to mention a little lonely, even though she was trying to pass the time by giving Kumi a good brushing.

"I'm SO bored," Aika grumbled.  
 _  
"I know, Aika,"_ Kumi spoke up with slight irritation. _"You've been saying that for a while, now."  
_  
"I wish Big Brother wasn't sick with a tummy ache, right now," Aika said. "Then he'd come and play with me."

 _"Why didn't you ask Nami or Blizzard to play with you?"_ Kumi asked.

"Big Sis Nami is working on an important map, right now," Aika answered, "and she's been busy with it since yesterday. As for Blizzard, well...you know what happens someone disturbs his nap."

 _"...Oh, yeah,"_ Kumi muttered with dread.

"Poor, poor Usopp," Aika answered. "He couldn't sit down for 2 weeks."

Just then, they heard the sound of someone humming nearby.

"That sounds like Aunt Robin," Aika pointed out.

"I wonder what she's up to," said Kumi. "Wanna go see?"

"Okay," Aika replied, shrugging her shoulders as she put down the brush and followed after Kumi. As they went up to the upper deck, they spotted Robin, tending to her flower garden. She wore a large sunhat to keep the sun out of her eyes and a pair of gloves to keep her hands from getting dirty. She had all kinds of flowers in her garden: daisies, posies, violets, cosmos, all kinds.

"Hi, Aunt Robin!" Aika called, causing the archaeologist to turn and look at her and Kumi.

"Oh, hi, Aika, Kumi," Robin greeted, waving lightly.

"Wow," Aika whispered as she looked at Robin's flowers. "Your flower garden is so pretty, Aunt Robin!"

Kumi barked in agreement.

"Oh, Kumi says they smell nice, too," Aika added, causing Robin to chuckle.

"Thank you, Kumi," she said as she pet the little puppy.

"Hey, Aunt Robin?" Aika asked. "I'm bored. Is it okay if I help you with your flower garden?"

"Oh?" Robin inquired before smiled warmly. "Well, I don't see why not, dear."

"Really?!" Aika asked as she began to hop up and down, excitedly. "Yay~!"

 _'...Why do I have a bad feeling about this?'_ thought Kumi.

"So what can I do to help?" Aika asked.

"Well, you can start by fetching my watering can," Robin answered. "It's in the kitchen. Sanji's supposed to fill it up for me, but I think he's too busy with dishes."

"Oh, okay!" Aika said. "I'll go get it, then! C'mon, Kumi!"

"Eh, why not?" Kumi asked with a shrug before she followed Aika to the kitchen, where they saw Sanji, whistling a little tune as he filled up Robin's watering can with water from the sink.

"Hi, Sanji!" Aika called, getting the cook's attention.

"Oh, hi, Aika!" Sanji greeted.

Ruff-ruff! Kumi barked and whined, as if feeling left out, which caused Sanji to chuckle as he gently pet the pup on the head.

"And hi to you, too, Kumi," he said. "So, what can I do you young ladies for?"

"I came to bring Aunt Robin her watering can," Aika answered. "Do you have it?"

"I certainly do," Sanji replied as he held out the watering can to the young D. Carrier. "Now, Aika, are you sure you can carry it? Because I'm not gonna lie, it's a bit heavy."

"I can handle it!" Aika reassured as she took the watering can into her hands, but then stumbled a bit upon feeling the weight of the water. "Whoa! It is kinda heavy! Kumi, can I get a hand?"

"Don't you mean a paw?" Kumi asked, jokingly, causing them both to laugh as the pup held the watering can with her front paws, and soon, they started to carry the watering can out, leaving Sanji to watch in concern.

"I hope she's not in over her head about this," said Sanji.

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by Yuu Otasaka (Charlotte reference)***  
**  
"Aunt Robin!" Aika called as she and Kumi approached Robin. "Look! We got the watering c-"

All of a sudden, she tripped, dropping the watering can on the floor.

"Oh, Aika!" Robin cried as she used her powers to catch Aika and Kumi, to keep them from falling down. As for the watering can, however, all the water ended up spilling out of it, making a rather big puddle. "Are you and Kumi okay?!"

"Aside from wet paws," Kumi began, pouting and shaking her paws dry, "doing just peachy!"

"Oh, no! The water!" Aika cried as she looked at the puddle on the floor. "I spilled all of it!"

"Next time, try not to rush," Robin replied. "Besides, Aika, it's just water. I'm just glad you're all right."

"But...I made a big mess," Aika bemoaned.

"Oh, Aika, accidents happen, sweetheart," Robin assured, patting her on the head. "Now, why don't you and Kumi mop this up while I go and refill the watering can, okay?"

"Okay, Aunt Robin," Aika replied as she took a mop and began to clean up the puddle while Robin went to go refill her watering can. She arrived in the kitchen and Sanji, having a smoke as he sat at the table.

"Ahem!" Robin cleared her throat. "Hello, Sanji."

"Oh, hello, Robin," Sanji greeted before he spotted the watering can. "Huh? What are you doing with that?"

"Well...Aika was rushing a bit," Robin replied, "so she accidentally spilled the water."

"I see," Sanji said. "Poor kid...she didn't get hurt, did she? That's the only thing I'm worried about."

"She's fine," answered Robin. "Although she seemed a bit upset. She just wanted to help me, that's all."

"I understand," Sanji concurred, "but you know how the saying goes: no use crying over spilled milk...or water, in this case."

The two older members burst into laughter at this.

"Which reminds me," Robin chimed in, "Sanji, do you think you could make Aika some cookies and milk? You know how that always cheers her up."

"Right away," Sanji replied as he went to the fridge and got out a carton of milk, and on the side was a photo of a familiar-looking angry Chihuahua, and under that picture was the word "MISSING" in big red letters. "Huh...that's odd. This looks like the Chihuahua that attacked Usopp, once...oh, well."

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by Nao Tomori (Charlotte reference)*****

Back with Aika and Kumi, they had finished mopping up the mess, but now, they were bored again.

"What's taking Aunt Robin so long?" asked Aika, sitting on her bottom.  
 _  
"Hey, how's Luffy doing?"_ Kumi inquired.

"Big Brother is still sleeping," Aika answered. "Big Sis Nami told me not to bother him...but I'm so bored, again."

That's when they heard the sound of a bouncing ball on the grass.

"Pass it over here, Chopper!"

"Okay! Catch it, Usopp!"

Aika gasped upon hearing the voices of the sniper and doctor.

"Usopp and Chopper are playing catch!" she exclaimed as she ran to join in the fun.  
 _  
"W-wait, Aika!"_ Kumi called. _"What about Robin?!"  
_  
Speak of the Devil Child, Robin had appeared, holding a tray of cookies and a glass of milk.

"Aika!" Robin called. "Look what Sanji made for you- huh?" She paused when she saw that Aika had disappeared. "W-where'd she go?"

On the deck, Aika approached Usopp and Chopper, the former holding Luffy's soccer ball.

"Hey, Aika!" Usopp greeted. "What's up?"

"Can I play with you guys?" Aika asked.

"Sure you can!" Usopp answered. "We're playing Ultimate Hot Potato!"

"It's a new game Usopp just made up!" Chopper answered. "Instead of using just your hands to catch the ball, you can kick the ball around, too!"

"Ooh, sounds fun!" Aika chirped. "Can I try?"

"Sure you can!" Usopp replied as he prepared to toss the ball. "Ready?"

Aika nodded her head, poised herself to kick the ball, which the sniper tossed to her. She soon reeled her foot back and **WHAM!** She kicked the ball really hard, causing it to sail towards Robin!

"Oh, no!" Chopper cried. "ROBIN, LOOK OUT!"

"OH!" Robin exclaimed as she ducked her head down, but when the ball went over her head... **SMASH!** A loud crash was heard, causing the archaeologist to gasp before she turned and saw, to her horror...that her flower garden had been completely destroyed. Bits of dirt, scattered petals, and torn stems were everywhere, lying at Robin's feet.

"Uh-oh...!" Usopp squeaked. "Not good...!"

"My...my garden...!" Robin whispered, almost sounding as if she were on the verge of tears. "It's...it's ruined...!"

Aika gasped upon seeing the ruined flowerbed, with Kumi whimpering nervously.

"Oh, no...!" Aika muttered.  
 _  
"You're gonna be in so much trouble, Aika...!"_ Kumi added.

"Ummm...hey, Robin?" Usopp asked, tentatively. "You know...I can have Franky fix that."

"...I know the pot can be replaced," said Robin, "but the flowers...I'll have to plant them all over again."

Aika sniffled with big, fat tears forming in her eyes.

"It's all my fault...!" she whimpered before she burst into tears and ran to her room.

"Aika! Wait!" Kumi cried as she ran after her. "Come back!"

 _"Aika! Kumi! Where are you two going?!"_ asked Chopper.

"W-wait, Aika!" Robin called. "Wait! I'm not mad at you!"

"You're not mad at who?"

Usopp, Chopper, and Robin turned to see Zoro approaching, and when the swordsman spotted the ruined flower garden, he immediately glared at the sniper and doctor.

"Okay," he said, "which one of you flat-foots did this?"

"It wasn't us!" Usopp and Chopper argued.

"Well, if it wasn't you, then who was it?!" Zoro questioned. "I want names, right now! Was it Luffy?! I wouldn't put it passed him, that clumsy idiot!"

"Zoro, it was Aika," Robin spoke up, causing her boyfriend to look at her in surprise.

"Wait...what?" he asked. "You're not serious, are you? Aika?"

"It was an accident," Robin pointed out.

"...I see," Zoro answered, scratching the back of his head. "Sheesh...to think, I was about to yell at the twerp."

"I know, Zoro," Robin reassured, putting her hands on his shoulders. "Whenever I get upset, you do, too."

"So, where'd the squirt go?" asked Zoro.

"She ran into her room, as always whenever she's upset about something," Robin answered. "I better go talk to her."  
 **  
***Short timeskip brought to you by the Koma Sword (Blue Exorcist reference)*****

Luffy yawned as he walked down the hallway, scratching at his stomach. He had just woken up from his nap, so now his stomachache was gone...but now, he was hungry again.

"Urrrrgh...hungry," he muttered, sleepily. That's when he noticed Nami standing by Aika's door. "Oh! Hey, Nami!"

"Hey, Luffy," Nami greeted her captain. "How's your stomach?"

"Better," Luffy answered, "and empty."

"As usual," Nami muttered, although she glanced back at the door, as if in concern, which Luffy noticed.

"What's up, Nami?" Luffy asked. "Everything okay?"

"It's Aika," Nami replied. "She locked herself up in her room and she won't come out."

"Again?!" Luffy asked. "Jeez, what's wrong now?!"

"I don't know!" Nami answered. "All I heard was her crying about Robin hating her, now!"

"What?!" Luffy questioned. "Why would Robin hate Aika?!"

"What do you mean 'hate Aika'?"

The couple turned to see Robin approach them.

"Robin, what's this about you hating Aika?" Nami asked.

"I don't hate Aika," Robin answered. "It's just...there was a bit of an accident, earlier."

"An accident?" Luffy repeated, worriedly. "Uh-oh...what happened?"

"Well...it's like this," Robin explained. "You see, Aika wanted to help me with my flower garden, so I told her to go refill my watering can for me. When she got back, though, she accidentally tripped and spilled the water. Then, when I went to go and fill it back up again, and also bring her a snack, but when I got back, she was playing Usopp and Chopper...and...well...she kicked the ball just a bit too hard...and...well, she accidentally smashed my flower garden."

With that, she sighed, trying to overcome her frustration.

"I see," Nami said, sadly.

"...So what you're saying is Aika did it on purpose?" Luffy asked, which caused the navigator to smack him in the back of his head.

"NO, YOU DUMMY!" she shouted.

"Ow!" Luffy cried "Okay, sorry! Jeez, Louise!"

"Moron," Nami grumbled before she looked up at Robin. "And what about Aika? You're not gonna punish her, right?"

"...As mad as I am," Robin began, "I can't ever stay mad at her. After all, it was an accident."

"Oh, Robin," Nami said, sympathetically. "I know how much you loved that garden."

"I can always plant a new garden," Robin assured. "As for Aika...I can't replace her. I love her too much to do that."

"You do?"

The three grownups turned to see Aika and Kumi peeking out through a crack in the door, and Robin smiled fondly at the two pups before she got down on her knees.

"Of course I do," Robin smiled as she pet Aika on the head. "I love you more than any flower in the world, Aika...you should know that."

"...I'm still really sorry about your garden," Aika answered, looking down and rubbing her arm in guilt.

"Aika, Robin can always grow herself another garden," Luffy said. "Things like that are replaceable, you know."

"But people, especially people you love, can't be," Nami added.

"You mean it?" Aika asked, her eyes brightening with hope.

"Of course," Robin answered. "You and Kumi aren't just a couple of children...you two are just members of the Straw Hat crew as the rest of us."

Aika and Kumi both smiled before they both jumped into Robin's arms, causing her to laugh as she happily embraced them.

"Awwwww~!" Luffy and Nami cooed.

"I love you both," Robin whispered as she held Aika and Kumi. "Don't ever forget that, okay?"

"I won't," Aika smiled, with Kumi whimpering in agreement. "And Kumi won't forget either."

"When I make my new garden," Robin began, "will you help me plant it?"

"Yes, please!" Aika answered, causing the archaeologist to chuckle.

"Good," she said. "When would you like to start?"

"How about now?" Aika asked...only for her tummy to make a rumbling sound, which caused her to blush. "Okay...maybe after lunch, instead?"

"I think that's something you and I can both agree on," Luffy added, his own stomach rumbling, too, which caused Nami and Robin to laugh.

"Come on," Nami said. "Let's go see if Sanji's getting started on lunch, yet."

"Yeah!" the D. Siblings cheered.

***Short timeskip brought to you by Paimon (Magi reference)***

After lunch, Robin, Aika, and Kumi stood before a new, empty flowerbed, filled with only soil.

"Ready, Aika?" Robin asked

"Ready!" Aika answered, holding a packet of seeds.

"All right," Robin said as she dug some little holes with a spade, and then Aika put a seed in each hole. Then, Robin buried them and gently tapped the dirt with her spade before she watered the seeds with her watering can, only letting tiny droplets fall. After all, she didn't want the soil getting too moist.

"So what now?" Aika asked.

"We wait, Aika," Robin answered.

"Ah," Aika nodded. "Okay then."

A pause...but then the young D. Carrier sighed, already feeling her boredom sink in once again.

"Why isn't anything growing?" Aika asked.

"Flowers take time to grow, sweetie," Robin answered. "Until they do, you have to do something to pass the time."

"Like what?"

"Well...we could read, we could draw pictures...or, we could doodle on Zoro's face...?"

Aika gasped in surprise, for this was a side to Robin she never thought she'd see.

"Aren't you afraid he'll get mad at you?" she asked.

"Oh, don't worry about that," Robin reassured with a wink. "I know just the thing to calm Zoro down."

Aika and Kumi both giggled before they left to have some fun with Robin.

As days went by, the seeds in Robin and Aika's garden began to grow into seedlings, then they grew into buds, and finally...fully bloomed flowers.

"Aunt Robin!" Aika called as she came running into the library with Kumi at her heels. "Aunt Robin, come look!"

"What is it, Aika?" Robin asked as Aika excitedly grabbed her hand and tugged on it.

"The flowers!" Aika exclaimed. "They bloomed! They finally bloomed! Hooray!"

Robin chuckled as she put her book down and got up.

"All right, all right," she said. "Just wait for me."

Soon, they went to look at the garden, and sure enough, there was a flowerbed full of newly grown flowers, all of them in bloom and sending a mix of fragrances into the air.

"Oh, my...!" Robin whispered in awe.

"See?" Aika asked. "Aren't they pretty?"

"Very pretty," Robin replied as she hugged Aika. "Just like you."

"Shishishi!" Aika giggled as she got a kiss on the cheek, but then Kumi whined, as if saying "What about me?".

"Aww, and you, too, Kumi," Robin smiled as she hugged the little Akita pup, too, causing her pant happily as she licked her face, which in turn, caused her to laugh. Then, Robin sighed as she looked over at her new flower garden. To her...it was even more special, now, because she and Aika grew it together.

This had certainly been a new experience for her. One she would remember, always.

 **THE END**

* * *

I got some help from my friend, Gakuto1991 for this one. Thanks, buddy!

Review, please!


	17. Ride

One Piece Prompts  
Ride

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, and Kumi © Me

* * *

Summary- While the Straw Hats sleep, Luffy and Blizzard take an early morning ride.

* * *

Thanks to Gakuto1991 for helping me with this, and the last one, too! ^^

* * *

It was barely the crack of dawn. The sun was barely out yet, but once could see just a tiny bit of its light beyond the sea. The Straw Hats still slept soundly on the _Thousand Sunny_ , which was moored at the shore of an island, the gentle waves rocking her up and down...well...all except one member, who was making his way over to Aika and Kumi's room.

Blizzard snored as he lied underneath the bed, his tail sticking out from under the bed frame. Luffy snickered, his mischievous grin on his face before he reached down and gave the tail a tug, not too hard, but just enough to wake him. The wolf-dog growled as he opened his tired eyes, then pulled his large body from underneath the bed to turn and face his attacker, only to see that it was just Luffy, causing him to sigh.

 _"I should've known it was you,"_ Blizzard said. _"Do you know what time it is?"  
_  
"Yeah, I know it's early," Luffy said, "but I've been thinking...we came to this island last night, right?"

"Right," Blizzard answered, scratching at his ear.

"And it looks REALLY fun to run around on, right?" asked Luffy.  
 _  
"Yeah, I guess,"_ Blizzard muttered with a yawn. _"What are you getting at, Luffy?"  
_  
"...When was the last time you and I took a nice ride?" Luffy asked, which caused the wolf-dog's eyes to go wide and his tail to wag.  
 _  
"You mean...?!"_ Blizzard whispered.

"Yep!" Luffy grinned. "Wanna go for a ride, buddy?"

Without another word, Blizzard just bounded right out of the room like an eager puppy, though being careful not to wake Aika and Kumi. Luffy smiled as he was about to go and follow his canine companion, but not without giving his younger half-sister a little kiss to her forehead.

"Sweet dreams, sis," he whispered before he left. As he came outside, he gasped when he spotted Blizzard, standing on the sandy beach, his tail wagging a mile a minute.

 _"Hurry up!"_ the wolf-dog called out, causing Luffy to chuckle before he ran over and jump up on his back.

"You ready?" asked Luffy.

"Give the word," Blizzard smirked.

"Let's ride!" Luffy ordered, and on that, the wolf-dog dashed off, kicking up a cloud of sand as he ran. The captain and guard dog laughed as they rode along the beach, both smiling ear-to-ear, the wind pushing around their faces.

"Hey, Blizzard!" Luffy called. "Can you go any faster?!"

 _"Can I go faster?"_ Blizzard repeated. _"Did you forget this is me you're talking to?!"  
_  
On that, the wolf-dog began to gallop faster, causing Luffy to holler and cheer along the way. As Blizzard kept running, Luffy let go of his scarf, opened his arms wide, and closed his eyes, a broad smile creasing his lips. The feeling of the wind on his face and ruffling his black hair...he had almost forgotten how free he felt whenever he rode on Blizzard's back like this. And Blizzard? Well, sure he was a pirate, but he enjoyed the moments he could just act like a regular dog, having fun with his master.

As they ran, Luffy spotted an upcoming coconut tree.

"Ooh!" he chirped as he stretched his arm and snatched one of the fruits out of the tree, then banged it on his knees, causing it to crack open. "Mmm...coconut milk!" He then opened his mouth and drank from one of the halves. "Ahh...yummy!"

 _"Can I have some of that?"_ Blizzard asked.

"Sure!" Luffy answered as he poured milk from the other half of the coconut into the wolf-dog's mouth.  
 _  
"Mmmm~!"_ Blizzard hummed, savoring the taste. _"Delicious!"  
_  
"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed before he looked out to the horizon. "Huh...looks like the sun's still not up yet."

 _"Only gives us more riding time, right?"_ Blizzard asked as he kept running, which caused the Straw Hat Captain to grin.

"You bet!" Luffy answered, and at that moment, they saw a huge flock of birds up ahead, which caused Blizzard to smirk.

"Hey, Luffy, watch this!" the wolf-dog said before he began to bark wildly at the birds, which caused them to disperse as he did so. Luffy laughed as the birds flew away...only to get a mouthful of feathers, which he quickly spat out in disgust.

"Blegh! Pffftt! Oh, yuck!" he cried.

 _"Sorry!"_ Blizzard apologized.

"Don't worry about it," Luffy answered, and then he and his canine comrade both burst into laughter. However, their fun was short-lived, for they suddenly noticed a shadow looming over them. They looked up and gasped upon seeing the birds...and they did not look one bit happy.

"Uh-oh...!" Luffy squeaked. "I think I know what that look means...!"

"So do I!" Blizzard added, and before long, the duo found themselves about to be bombarded with bird droppings!

"AAAAAHH!" Luffy screamed. "RUN FASTER, BLIZZARD!"

" _THIS IS AS FAST AS I CAN GO!"_ Blizzard shouted as he ran faster with the birds in hot pursuit.

"Quick!" Luffy cried as he pointed at a cave. "In there! Hurry!"

Blizzard panted as he ran inside with the birds trying to follow. However, because they had no way of seeing in the dark, they had no choice but to abort the attack.  
 _  
"About face, troops!"_ the leader ordered before they all flew back outside. _"Let that be lesson to those derelicts, next time."_

"Yes, sir!"

the rest of the birds saluted, while Luffy and Blizzard came peeking out from behind a stalagmite.

 _"Okay,"_ Blizzard said. _"Bad idea on my part."_

"Eh," Luffy shrugged. "It seemed fun at the moment, I guess."

 _"Nothing ever phases you, huh?"_ Blizzard asked.

"Not really," Luffy grinned, which caused the wolf-dog to chuckle.

 _"So what do we do, now?"_ Blizzard asked, which caused the Straw Hat Captain to hum inquisitively before he turned and gasped upon seeing a huge gap, and on the other side was the way out, and upon seeing it, he and Blizzard both glanced at each other and grinned.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Luffy asked.

 _"Oh, yes,"_ Blizzard smirked as he began to back up a few inches before he took a running start, picking up speed as he ran faster and faster, picking up dust and rock!

"Yeah!" Luffy cheered. "Go, buddy, go!"

Blizzard smirked, Luffy's words of praise spurring him on, and when was about 6 feet away from the gap, he took in a deep breath, and then...he leapt right off the edge, and it was almost like he was flying through the air!

"WHOOOOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~!" Luffy hollered, his voice echoing through the air.

Blizzard smirked before he landed on the other side!

 _"Perfect landing!"_ he exclaimed before he dashed outside, and when they made it out, they gasped when they saw the exit led to a large mountain range...and the peaks were just beyond the thick clouds!

"Whoa...!" Luffy whispered in awe. "Check that out!"

 _"Holy mother of Whitebeard...!"_ Blizzard added.

"...You know what we're gonna do, now, right?" Luffy inquired, beaming.

"Way ahead of you," Blizzard smirked as he began to run towards the mountaintops.

"Yeah!" Luffy cheered. "Go, Blizzard, go!"

Blizzard panted as he kept running...and that's when he noticed the sun beginning to rise over the horizon.

"Hey, Luffy! Look!" the wolf-dog called, causing Luffy to look towards the sun.

"Hey!" Luffy said. "I've got a great idea! What if we raced the sun?!"

 _"Raced the sun?"_ Blizzard repeated.

"Yeah!" Luffy replied. "We'll see if we reach the peak first, and then we'll watch the sunrise when we get to the top!"

 _"Luffy, that might be the best idea you had yet,"_ Blizzard grinned before he started to pick up the pace, which almost caused Luffy to fall off, had he not hung on tight enough. _"Hang on, Luffy!"_

"Trust me!" Luffy answered. "I'm not even THINKING of letting go!"

As Blizzard ran, he looked down and saw the sun was slowly starting to follow. He gritted his teeth, feeling the competition grow fierce with each sprint he took. He panted as his muscles ached and it almost felt as if his paws were going to bleed, and he suddenly found himself beginning to slow down.

"Blizzard!" Luffy exclaimed. "Don't give up, buddy! You're the fastest dog I know!"

Upon hearing that, Blizzard suddenly found himself gaining some extra adrenaline, which caused him to run faster and faster, and before too long, they managed to break through the clouds!

"Yeah!" Luffy cheered, wearing a cloud mustache on his face. "We're almost there!"  
 _  
"Uh...Luffy?"_ Blizzard asked.

"What?" Luffy asked...his "mustache" blowing away in the wind.

"Uh...never mind," Blizzard answered before he looked up at the mountaintop. He smirked before he crouched down and took one BIG leap...and he reached peak!

"YES!" Luffy shouted. "WE MADE IT, WHOO-HOO!"

 ** _AWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~!_** Blizzard gave a loud, triumphant howl before he panted heavily.

"Man...what a ride...!" he said. "My heart's pounding!"

"Shishishishi!" Luffy laughed...before he looked down up and gasped. "Whoa...Blizzard, look!"

Blizzard turned and gaped in awe upon seeing the rising sun.  
 _  
"...Wow...!"_ he whispered. _"Would you look at that?"_

"I should've borrowed Nami's Transponder Snail camera before I left," Luffy replied.  
 _  
"...You didn't tell anyone where we went, did you?"_ Blizzard asked.

"Of course not!" Luffy answered. "Besides, it was early in the morning! I didn't wanna wake anybody!"

 _"Makes sense,"_ Blizzard mused, chuckling as he did...but then, a loud roar seemed to come from nowhere, scaring off any animals within hearing range. However, the only one who didn't run was Blizzard, who smirked knowingly at Luffy.

 _"Your stomach, I presume?"_ Blizzard asked.

"Yeah," Luffy answered as he rubbed his empty belly. "I'm starving."

"Yeah, me too," Blizzard agreed. "Let's head back. I'm pretty sure Sanji started to make breakfast, by now."

Luffy nodded before he jumped up on the wolf-dog's back.

"Let's ride!" he ordered, and on that, Blizzard ran back down the mountain!

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by Velvet Scarletina (RWBY reference)*****

Sanji whistled a little tune as he set up plates of omurice on the table. By now, the rest of the Straw Hats were awake and ready to eat...but two members were missing.

"Hey," Sanji said. "Anybody seen Luffy?"

"Come to think of it," Nami began, "he wasn't in bed with me when I woke up this morning."

"Blizzard wasn't in mine and Kumi's room, either," Aika added.

"Well, that's odd," Robin said. "I wonder where they could be. It's not like Luffy or Blizzard to miss breakfast."

"Especially Luffy, with that black hole he calls his stomach," Zoro added.

"HEY~!"  
 _ **  
AWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~!**_

"Well, speak of the devil," Usopp spoke up upon hearing the captain's voice, and sure enough, Luffy and Blizzard soon entered.

"Morning, guys!" Luffy greeted before he went up and kissed Nami on the cheek. "Morning, Nami!" He then ruffled Aika's hair. "Hey, sis!"

"Hi, Big Brother!" Aika replied.

"Well, you're in a good mood, today," Nami mused. "And I mean more than usual."

"Where'd you and Snowy go off to?" asked Franky.

"Blizzard and I took a ride out on the island," Luffy answered as he sat down and had a whole heaping plate of omurice. "We even rode up to the mountaintop!"

"ALL the way up there?!" Usopp questioned.

"Yep! Way over the clouds and everything!" Luffy replied as he ate. "We even watched the sunrise!"

"Yohohohoho!" Brook laughed. "How thrilling! Sounds like you and Blizzard had a wonderful time!"

"Yeah, we did," Luffy said. "We would've stayed longer, but my tummy told me it was time to eat, and when my tummy talks, I have to listen to it."

"Me, too," Aika added.

 _"Hey, Blizzard!"_ Kumi said, wagging her tail excitedly. _"Can we go with you, next time?"_

 _"Sure,"_ Blizzard replied as he ate out of his bowl. _"You and Aika can both come, next time."_

At that moment, Chopper's nose picked up an odd smell...which caused him to wince as he covered his nose.

"Uh...hey, Luffy?" Chopper asked. "How come you and Blizzard smell like...bird droppings?"

The Straw Hats all looked at their captain and guard dog, the former grinning sheepishly.

"Oh, yeah," Luffy said. "Thing is...during the ride, Blizzard kinda spooked a flock of birds and that kinda got them pissed at us...so on the ride back to the ship, we got pooped on, so we had to wash off in a lake. I guess the smell didn't go away completely."

A pause...but then, Luffy and Blizzard yelped as they suddenly found themselves getting tossed outside by Sanji, who dusted his hands before he closed the door.

"Hey! What about our breakfast?!" Luffy questioned, only to be answered by a plate of omurice getting thrown into his hands while Blizzard's dog bowl was accidentally thrown on his head.

"Sorry about that, Blizzard," Sanji apologized before he closed the door again while Luffy happily ate his breakfast.

 _"...Well, Luffy, that ride could've gone a bit better,"_ Blizzard said, his breakfast slipping off his head and leaving bits of rice and egg in his fur.

"Ah, c'mon," Luffy said. "You had fun, right?"

 _"...Yeah,"_ Blizzard admitted. _"I did...thanks, Luffy."  
_  
"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed.

 **THE END**

* * *

Review, please!


	18. Stars

One Piece Prompts:  
Stars

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, and Kumi © Me

* * *

Summary- The Straw Hats spend the night, stargazing.

* * *

Thanks, Gaku, for helping me with this. ^^

* * *

Nighttime on the _Thousand Sunny_. The sky was clear, the wind was soft, and the ocean was calm. Plus, the Straw Hats had just eaten a satisfying dinner in the galley.

"UUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRP!" A monstrous belch through the air.

"Luffy!" Nami scolded in disgust.

"Excuse me," Luffy answered, patting his overstuffed belly. "Man, dinner was really good!"

Brook released a revolting belch of his own.

"I agree," he spoke. "Quite the delicious meal, as always, Mister Sanji!"

"Oh, please," Sanji muttered in irritation. "I think you guys should know that I don't appreciate being thanked by a bunch of slobs!"

As soon as he said this, a small burp soon sounded off behind him, causing him and everyone else to glance at Aika, who grinned sheepishly.

"Excuse me," she said.

"Awwwwww~!" everyone (except Zoro) swooned. Speaking of Zoro, he was, surprisingly, drinking a bottle of water.

"What?" Zoro asked. "I don't drink booze all the time."

"Nothing wrong with that," Robin replied.

As Sanji gathered up the dirty dishes and everyone prepared to retired for the night, Aika looked outside and saw the many twinkling stars in the sky, which caused her to smile as she stared up at them.

"The stars sure are pretty tonight," said Aika, which caused the Straw Hats to come outside and look, too. Needless to say, they were quite impressed by the sight. Usopp even whistled in amazement.

"Man, what a sight," he smiled.

"You got that right, pal," Luffy added.

"I've never seen so many stars at one time," Chopper spoke up in awe as he sat on Blizzard's head. "Well, except in Alabasta, but still."

"You know," Robin began, "if you were to look hard enough, you would see the stars make pictures in the sky."

"Really?" Aika asked.

"That's right," Robin nodded. "They're called constellations."

"Cool!" Luffy exclaimed while Aika surveyed the sky, where she soon saw a large group of stars.

"Is that one?" the younger D. Carrier inquired.

"Yes, it is," Robin replied, putting her hands on Aika's shoulders. "That one is called Orion."

"Orion, huh?" Sanji queried. "You know, I've heard about the Legend of Orion. They say he was the son of a Gorgon and a God...and very arrogant. When he dared to hunt down every animal in the world, he brought about the fury of the Goddess of Earth, Gaia."

Hearing that caused Aika to gasp in surprise.

"Nobody knows how Orion ended up in the heavens," Sanji added. "Some say he was killed by an arrow by the Bow of Artemis. Others say he was killed by Scorpio, the giant scorpion. No one can really know for sure."

"Whoa...!" Luffy and Usopp whispered in awe.

"Hey, guys! Check this out!"

Everyone turned upon hearing Franky's voice and saw him wheeling out a large telescope.

"What's that telescope for, Franky?" Chopper asked.

"Well, all this talk about the stars has given me an idea," Franky answered. "How about we do some stargazing?"

"Oh, yeah!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Yay, stargazing!" Aika cheered.

"I don't see why not," said Nami.

"This should be fun," Robin mused.

"Count me in," added Sanji.

"Yohohoho!" chortled Brook. "How fascinating!"

"I'm in!" Usopp piped up, while Blizzard and Kumi barked in agreement.

"That means they're in, too!" Aika translated. As for Zoro, however, he was heading up to the Crow's Nest.

"Where you going, Zoro?" asked Luffy.

"Sleep," Zoro replied, bluntly. "Where else?"

"I'll be up there to join you, soon," Robin answered.

 _"Eh, who needs him?"_ Blizzard shrugged. _"He's kind of a killjoy."  
_  
 _"You can say that again,"_ Kumi added. "A big ol' stick in the mud."

"Yeah," Aika spoke. "Big Sis Nami says he's even got a stick in his-"

"Aika!" Nami scolded. "Don't you dare repeat that!"

"Repeat what?" Aika asked. "That he's got a stick in his bass? Like the fish?"

"...Never mind," Nami muttered, while Luffy and Usopp snickered, but a quick glare from the navigator soon silenced them both.

"So...let's see what else we can see," Luffy said as he looked through the telescope, and almost instantly, he saw something through the lens. "Ooh! Check it out! I see something that looks a bit like a ladle!"

"That would be the Big Dipper, Luffy," Robin answered, "and if you look across from the star, Poseidon, you'll see the Little Dipper, which also contains the North Star."

"Oh, I know what the North Star is!" Nami exclaimed. "Sailors use that to find their way at sea! I should know. I am a navigator."

"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed as he hugged Nami from behind. "And a damn good one, too!"

"Yay for Big Sis Nami!" cheered Aika.

"Aww, shucks," Nami smiled, blushing.

Then, Aika took a turn to look through the telescope...only to gasp as she looked up at the sky, seeing many tiny lights streaking across.

"Wow!" she exclaimed. "Look at that!"

The Straw Hats gasped upon hearing her call and watched the sky, as well.

"Whoa...!" Luffy whispered in awe.

"What are they?" Aika asked.

"They're shooting stars," Robin replied, "and they're beautiful."

"You can live an entire lifetime," Brook spoke, "and yet...you will never see a sight more grand...even though I'm already dead."

"In some instances," Sanji began, "only one or two of these will appear in the sky, and it's very rare. However, a sight like this is even more rare. Some people call it a meteor shower."

"Wow...!" Aika whispered in amazement.

"You make it sound like you never saw shooting stars, before, kiddo," Franky spoke up.

"That's because I never saw them," Aika answered. "This is the first time I've ever seen shooting stars...even back when I was on Wolf Paw Island, and I never got to outside when I was on Punk Hazard. Even if I did, though, there was too much cloud cover to see the stars, anyway."

 _"Well, looks like tonight is your lucky night,"_ Blizzard mused.

"You know what they say about shooting stars, Aika?" Chopper inquired. "If you make a wish on one before it disappears, that wish will come true!"

"Really?!" Aika asked, excitedly.

"Ooh!" Luffy chirped. "Then I wish for-"

"Don't say the wish out loud, Luffy!" Nami cried. "It won't come true if you don't!"

"And besides, there are a lot of shooting stars right now," Usopp pointed out. "If you made a wish, now, you wouldn't know which star you were wishing on!"

"Oh, man!" Luffy pouted. "I was gonna wish for an endless supply of meat!"

 _"Sounds like something you'd do, all right, Luffy,"_ Kumi spoke up.

"And there's gotta be hundreds of those things," Usopp added.

"Yohohohoho!" Brook laughed. "They're nearly impossible to count! Makes you wish they were as big as the sun!"

"Wait...the sun is a star?" Aika asked. "I just thought it was just a giant fireball, stuck in gravity and orbit."

Everyone gaped at Aika's sudden intellectual speech.

"...What?" Aika asked, puzzled.

"Well, in truth, Aika," Robin began, brushing off the shock, "the sun really is a star. A giant one, at that. It's been around for millions of years, now...perhaps longer, and our world revolves around it."

"Really?" Luffy and Aika queried.

"Yes," Robin nodded, "and the sun is actually the world's greatest source of energy."

"Imagine a world without the sun," Nami added. "The world would be so cold...there would hardly be any life, at all!"

"Brr~!" Usopp shivered. "Makes me shiver, just thinking about it!"

"Same here," Blizzard added. "And I got a fur coat, for crying out loud!"

"Plus, without the sun, we can't see the moon, either," Sanji said, gesturing towards the full moon. "The sun's light reflects the moon's surface, which is why we can see it."

"Cool~!" Luffy and Aika exclaimed.

"I still wish I could make a wish on a shooting star," Chopper pouted.

"Have you ever tried catching one, Chopper?" Aika asked.

"Catching one?" Chopper repeated. "What do you mean?"

"Maybe if you caught a shooting star and made a wish on it," Aika began, "it'll come true!"

"You really think it'll work, Aika?" asked Chopper.

"Well, only one way to find out," Aika said as she shifted into her Wolf Form and ran across the deck, heading for the figurehead.

"Wait, Aika!" Franky called. "I'm pretty sure shooting stars don't work like that!"

"Aika, come back here!" Usopp cried.

But their calls fell on deaf ears, for Aika had already reached the figurehead and was standing on the _Sunny's_ nose, then she reached her paws out towards the stars.

"I think...I almost...got one...!" she strained as she kept reaching, but then, she felt her back paws slip off, causing her to yelp in surprise.

"AIKA!" Kumi cried.

"Hang on, Aika!" Luffy called as he ran to the railing, jumped over, and caught Aika in his arms. "Gotcha!"

"Thanks, Big Brother," Aika smiled, "but...why did you jump off, too?!"

"Because I...I...err...wait, what?" Luffy muttered before he looked up and realized, too late, that he jumped overboard. "...Oh, crap."  
 **  
SPLASH!** The D. Siblings ended up falling into the ocean, much to everyone's shock.

"LUFFY! AIKA!" Chopper and Brook cried as they ran to railing, preparing to jump overboard, too, only for Franky to grab them both while Nami and Sanji jumped overboard in their stead.

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by the Master Sword (Legend of Zelda reference)***  
**  
(A/N: I'm caught up in the Zelda craze. Good lord, help me! )

A little while later, Luffy and Aika had been brought up onto the _Sunny's deck_ , the former's belly bloated and waterlogged while the latter, back in human form and wearing a bath robe, was getting dried off by Nami.

"Sorry...!" Luffy gurgled while Sanji stamped his boot against his stomach, squeezing the water out of him.

"You idiot," Sanji said in irritation. "How many times do we have to tell you? Don't jump overboard to save someone when you can't swim, yourself!"

"I'm sorry, too, Big Sis Nami," Aika apologized. "I thought that maybe if I caught a shooting star, Chopper's wish would come true...and maybe mine would, too."

"Well, Aika, as cool as that sounds," Nami began, "I'm afraid that doesn't work, that way."

"Oh, boo," Aika pouted. "I had such a good wish, too!"

"Oh, really?" Robin inquired. "And just what was it?"

"...That we'd always be together," Aika said, causing everyone to gape at her in surprise, but then they all smiled at her, warmly.

"Oh, Aika," Robin smiled.

"I'm pretty sure that wish will always come true, Aika," Luffy said. "Star or no star."

"You think so, Big Brother?" Aika asked.

"I know so," Luffy replied.

"We love you, so much, Aika," Robin said in a motherly tone.

"Yeah...you little sweetheart...!" Franky sniffled, wiping his tears.

"Besides, Aika," Nami spoke up, "you can't exactly catch the stars. They're farther away than you think they are."

"They are?" Aika asked.

"That's right," Nami affirmed before she pointed up a particular star...one that was red and glowing. "See that one? That one is probably millions of light-years away."

"Uh...Nami?" Luffy asked. "Are you sure? Because that star looks like it's getting closer."

"Umm...okay, make that thousands of light-years," Nami corrected herself...but then she saw that the star was getting closer. "Okay, maybe hundreds!"

"HOLY CRAP!" Usopp cried. "THAT STAR'S NO STAR! IT'S A METEOR!"

"AND IT'S HEADED RIGHT AT US!" Sanji shouted.

"EVERYBODY, RUN FOR IT!" Luffy yelled before the Straw Hats ran to take cover...while the meteor, not as large as the ones akin to the ones a certain blind Admiral would hurl at his foes, crashed right into the Crow's Nest, where Zoro slept!

"Oh, my god! Zoro's in there!" Robin cried.

"ZORO!" Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, and Aika shouted in horror while Blizzard and Kumi barked, frantically.

"Hang on!" Sanji exclaimed as he used Sky Walk to fly up to the Crow's Nest. "I'll get him outta there!"

"Hurry, Sanji!" Nami called.

As the cook reached the top of the Crow's Nest...he gasped as he saw that Zoro was lying on it and snoring, as if nothing had even happened!

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Sanji questioned. "THE DUMB-ASS IS STILL SLEEPING?!"

"He is?!" the rest of the Straw Hats asked in disbelief, while Robin only sighed in relief.

"Thank heavens," she whispered.

"You know what?" Usopp asked. "I think I've had more than enough excitement for tonight."

"Me, too," said Nami.

"I'll just give the Crow's Nest a quick fix," Franky began, "and then it's off to bed for me."

Aika and Kumi both yawned, prompting Luffy and Nami to pick them up.

"I think that's a good idea," Nami said. "It's way passed these little ones' bedtime."

"I'm not...tired..." Aika mumbled, resting her head against Luffy's chest.

And so, after Franky fixed the Crow's Nest's roof (and even took the time to craft a bed for Zoro out of the meteor he was sleeping on, dubbing it "The Cosmic Bed".

"Hmm..." Robin mused as she lied on the meteor with Zoro. "Surprisingly comfortable."  
 **  
THE END**


	19. Awkwardness- Rated M

One Piece Prompts:  
Awkwardness

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, and Kumi © Me

* * *

(WARNING! This Prompt is rated M for mature audiences only! Also, contains different pairings, as well as the usual! Viewer discretion is advised! Again, my friend, Gakuto1991 helped me out, here. ^^)

It was very early in the morning on the _Thousand Sunny_. The Straw Hats are still sound asleep in their beds, having rested the whole night through. However...no one had any idea that this day was going to start out unlike any other.

It all began in Zoro and Robin's room, the latter giving a soft moan as she stretched her arms while the former snored. As they slept, Robin yawned as she woke up and sat up on the bed before she glanced over at Zoro, who just kept snoring, which caused her to smile before she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

"Sleep well, my tiger," she whispered before she got up and walked out, heading for the bathhouse to take a shower. After all, just because she was a pirate, it didn't mean she shouldn't keep herself clean.

Concurrently, Luffy and Nami, both still sound asleep in their duvet, were about to have an awakening of their own: the sound of a certain little wolf girl's paws, running towards their door. Nami's eyes popped open before she sighed, recognizing the sound, instantly.

"Luffy, think fast," she muttered, causing Luffy's eyes to open up as well.

"Oh, not again..." Luffy groaned...before he felt something jump right on top of his stomach, causing him to grunt as he sat up and see his dearest younger half-sister, Aika, who smiled as she wagged her tail, which caused Luffy to smile back at her. "Good morning, Aika."

"Shishishi!" Aika giggled.

"Can't you go one morning without pouncing on me?" Luffy asked.

"Aww, but that's no fun!" Aika pouted.

Nami chuckled, but then she felt another body pulling itself up onto her lap, and she soon saw that it was Kumi, who wagged her tail and panted happily.

"Oh, hi, Kumi!" Nami greeted as she gently scratched the puppy's neck. "Who's a good girl, huh? That's right, you are~!"

At that moment, Aika noticed a peculiar smell reach her nose, and after getting a good whiff, she grimaced as she covered her nostrils, as did Kumi.

"Eww~!" Aika groaned. "Big Brother, you're stinky!"

"I am?" Luffy asked, which caused Nami sniff him before she gagged and covered her nose and mouth.

"Oh, god, Luffy, you DO stink!" Nami shouted. "When was the last time you bathed?!"

"Last week, of course," Luffy answered. "I don't smell that bad, do I?"

Aika and Kumi both nodded their heads in response, causing Luffy to sniff his armpits before he grimaced at the smell of his own body odor.

"Uhh...okay," Luffy muttered. "Maybe I should bathe more often."

"Please do that," Nami replied.

On that, Luffy sighed before he got out of bed, went to closet, picked out some clothes (his usual cardigan, blue shorts, and his yellow sash), as well as a towel, before he headed out to the bathroom in just his underwear, walking over a snoring Blizzard as he did.  
 **  
***Short timeskip brought to you by Nami dressed up as a Marine (One Piece Episode 780 reference)*****

"Haaa..." Robin sighed as the warm water fell and ran down her smooth skin, washing away any dirt and dust. "Now that's more like it..."

As Robin continued to later soap all over her body, she had no idea of what was to happen next. The sound of rushing water drowned out the sound of the door opening and closing behind her, and soon after, who else should enter but Luffy? The Straw Hat Captain had nothing but a towel around his waist and was carrying his clothes in the crook of his left arm.

"Huh," he muttered. "I guess someone's already in here. Oh, well. Maybe they won't mind if I take a quick shower."

As he proceeded to step into the tub, though, he stopped when he noticed a figure, shrouded in the steam. At first, Luffy couldn't seem to make it out. Judging by the shpe, he figured at first that it was just Nami...but then he realized that that wouldn't make any sense, considering Nami was still in hers and his room with Aika and Kumi. Thus, he realized it could only be one other person...and as he drew closer, he gasped silently upon seeing that it was, in fact, Robin, who had her back completely turned to him. Luffy was so stunned, he just stood there, stammering as he took a few steps back. As he did...he saw every inch of Robin's body, from her shiny black hair to all her curves...her plush, apple-shaped ass...and as she turned, Luffy even got a look at her ample bust, causing a blush to appear on his cheeks and blood to trickle from his nostrils.

"Whoa...!" he whispered. "This is...this is actually pretty hot...!"

At that moment, Robin opened her eyes and turned around, only to gasp upon seeing Luffy.

"Luffy?!" she asked. "What are you doing in here?!"

"Ah!" Luffy yelped. "W-wait, I can explain! I didn't think anyone else was in here! I...I thought you were one of the guys, so...uhh...I..."

Robin was at a loss for words...but then, she looked down and she gasped in surprise.

"...Umm...Luffy?" she asked before she pointed at something between Luffy's legs, causing the captain to look down and find, to his horror...that he was as hard as a rock.

"Oh, crap...!" Luffy cursed. "Uhh...I-I should go-"

"Wait, Luffy!" Robin called. "You're in here, now...so just sit here and shower with me. We'll just pretend that we don't see each other, okay?"

"...Are you sure?" Luffy asked.

"Yes," Robin nodded, which caused Luffy to sigh.

"O-okay," he said before he went under the waterspout, grabbed a bar of soap, and started to lather it all over his body. As he did so, Robin glanced down at his erect Johnson.  
 _  
'Goodness,'_ she thought. _'No wonder Nami screams so much when they do it...she told me Luffy was big, but not THAT big!'_

Shaking her head to dismiss the thought, Robin rinsed herself off, grabbed her towel, dried herself off, and then grabbed her clothes.

"Luffy, I'm finished," Robin called as she got dressed. "I'm gonna leave now, all right?"

"Y-yeah, sure," Luffy replied.

"And Luffy?" Robin asked. "Let's just...pretend that none of this ever happened, okay?'

"...Okay," Luffy nodded, causing Robin to walk out, once she was fully dressed, while the captain sighed as he let the water run over his skin. Today had gotten off at a bad start...and it was going to get so much worse.

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by the Ocarina of Time (Legend of Zelda reference)***  
**  
It was nighttime, and it was almost time for everyone to go to bed. However, everyone couldn't help noticing the giant elephant in the room, or in this case, the ship: Luffy and Robin had been avoiding eye contact all day today.

"Hey, Robin," said Zoro as he and Robin lied in bed together. "What's going on between you and Luffy? You haven't so much as said to each other, all day?"

"I actually did speak to him, once, today," Robin answered, "but that's all."

"...Robin, I can't help thinking something might be wrong," Zoro said. "What's up? You're acting so reserved, and I mean like how you used to act when you joined up with us. What's going on?"

A pause...but then Robin sighed.

"...Promise you won't get mad at Luffy, okay?" she asked.

"...What did he do?" Zoro queried with a glare.

"It was an accident, Zoro," Robin replied. "I was in the shower...and he walked in...and we saw each other...in the nude."

"...Are you serious, right now?" Zoro asked, causing Robin to nod. "Stupid question...but...he didn't try anything, right?"

"Zoro, of course he didn't," Robin answered, angrily. "For Neptune's sake, it's LUFFY, for crying out loud."

"Right, right, I know," Zoro said. "I'm sorry."

"Look, it was just some fluke," Robin replied. "I'm sure we'll both forget about this tomorrow. We both promised we'd pretend that it never happened."

"Yeah, but you know how Luffy is with secrets," reminded Zoro. "Knowing him, he won't keep his big mouth shut and it won't be long until someone finds out."

"...Someone like Nami," Robin said, grimly, causing her boyfriend to shudder.

"And if we all know her," Zoro began, "she will NOT take it well."  
 **  
***With Luffy and Nami*****

In Luffy and Nami's room, Luffy panted as he lied on his side of the bed, sweat dripping from his brow and a blush on his cheeks. If one were to look on the outside, they'd think that Luffy was having some sort of nightmare...but nary. If one were to look under the covers, they'd see that Luffy was simply pleasuring himself, stroking his Adam's Rod.

No matter hard he tried to forget about what happened today, but for some reason, he found it hard to do so...and right now, he was dreaming of Robin sucking him off.

"Ohhh..." he groaned as he kept stroking his shaft, but the motion of doing so had awoken Nami, who had been dreaming of finding a mountain of treasure. She looked over her shoulder and saw her beau, rocking back and forth, causing the bed to creak.

"Luffy...?" Nami called, causing Luffy to awaken.

"Huh?" he muttered before he glanced back. "Oh...hey, Nami. Sorry. Did I wake you?"

"Yeah, you did," Nami answered. "What's up with you? You've been acting weird, today, and I mean more than usual."

"Uh...well..." Luffy stammered. "You see...err..."

Nami blinked in confusion before she lifted up the covers...and sure enough, there was Luffy's erect schlong through his boxers, right in her view, causing Luffy to blush in embarrassment.

"...Figures," Nami muttered. "Well, only one thing to do."

On that, she gripped on Luffy's Johnson, causing him to yelp a bit, before she began to suck on it, causing Luffy to sigh.

'This isn't too bad, I guess,' he thought. 'I'll just pretend that it's Robin, sucking me off.'

With that, he moaned as he let Nami continue to suck him off. As he did, he began to imagine Robin in Nami's place...in all her nude glory. However, in doing so, he made one large mistake.

"Aaaahhh...R...Robin~!" Luffy moaned, causing Nami's eyes to go wide before she stopped sucking on Luffy's cock.

"R-Robin?!" Nami questioned. "Did you just say Robin's name?!"

"Oops...!" Luffy squeaked.

"Luffy...what's going on?" Nami asked, not out of anger but more out of concern. "You actually haven't spoken to Robin, all day...what happened?"

"...You won't tell anyone, will you?" Luffy asked, causing the navigator to shake her head "no". "Okay...the truth is...Robin and I saw each other naked in the shower."

"...You saw each other?" Nami repeated.

"Yes," Luffy answered, "and before you say anything, we didn't do anything! We just saw her, took our showers, then left, and decided to pretend it never happened!"

A pause...but then Nami sighed.

"I can't believe this," she said. "Usually, I'm the one who turns you on the blink of an eye...but now, you're turned on at the thought of Robin, even since you saw her in the show...er...wait a minute." She then glanced down and saw that Luffy was hard, once again. "ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT HER, RIGHT NOW?!"

"AAH!" Luffy yelped as he covered his crotch. "N-Nami, I'm sorry! It just happened, I-"

"That's it, Luffy!" Nami shouted. "Until you do something about this...then you're sleeping the Men's Quarters!"

"But Nami, I-" Luffy started.

"DAH!" Nami interjected. "Just go...my pride as a woman is really hurt, right now."

"...I get it," Luffy replied, sadly before he got up, grabbed some clothes and a blanket, and walked out, while Nami sat on the bed, holding her arms and sniffling.

"...That idiot...!" she whispered...but then she shook her head to keep herself from crying. "No...come on, Nami...you're better than this. Don't start acting like a child."

She then sighed as she lied on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"...If things continue like this," she began, "then things between me and Luffy won't last too much longer...and I guess there's only one thing to do."

 *****Timeskip brought to you by TOM and the Vindication (Toonami reference)*****

The next day, Sanji was in the kitchen, soaking some chicken wings in some red sauce. In fact, he had quite a lot in there. Plus, he had some dough flattened out on the counter, plus things such as grated cheese, black olives, chopped up pieces of red and green peppers, sausage bits, pepperoni and ham slices, shrimp, fish, onions, mushrooms (of the edible variety), and tomato sauce. All the while, Aika was sitting at the table, watching him.

"Whatcha makin', Sanji?" Aika asked.

"Oh, just some pizza and some chicken wings," Sanji replied. "We're gonna have us a little party tonight, and I wanted to make sure we have enough food for everyone."

"What's the party for?" Aika inquired.

"Well, you know how us Straw Hats are," Sanji answered. "Sometimes we just party because we feel like it. Nothing wrong with that, right?"

"Shishishi!" Aika giggled. "I guess that's true."

"By the way," Sanji began, "not sure if you noticed this or not, but something strange is going on with your brother."

"I actually have noticed," Aika answered. "In fact, I heard Big Sis Nami yell at him, last night. I don't know what it was about...but I'm a little worried."

"Well, I'm sure Luffy and Nami will work it out between themselves," Sanji assured. "Unless it's really dire, we won't intervene."

"If you say so," Aika said.

"Now then," Sanji started, "you wanna help me put toppings on the pizza?"

"Okay!" Aika chirped.  
 **  
***Meanwhile*****

In the library, Nami sat at the table, her eyes closed and her hands folded together, as if she were anticipating something...or rather, someone. Soon, she heard the door open, and someone soon entered.

"Thanks for coming, Robin," Nami said.

"I think I might know why you needed to talk to me, anyway," said Robin.

"I'd expect no less from you," Nami replied.

"...Nami," Robin began, "about what happened yesterday...it was only an accident, and nothing happened between Luffy and I-"

"Except for the fact that you saw each other's bare skin," Nami grumbled. "Too much skin, as far as I'm concerned."

"Nami, please don't do that," Robin criticized. "This is hard enough as it is."

"I-I know, I know!" Nami replied. "I'm sorry...damn jealously, putting words in my mouth! This is exactly how I acted when I found out Luffy met up with Hancock!"

"...So...what happened?" asked Robin.

"...Luffy was thinking of you, last night," Nami answered. "He was dreaming about you...sucking him off."

"...Oh, dear," Robin muttered, worriedly.

"That's...actually another thing I wanna bring up," Nami added. "Zoro knows...doesn't he?"

"...Yes," Robin nodded, causing Nami to sigh.

"Good lord," she muttered with dread.

"Don't worry, Nami," Robin assured. "Zoro knows that Luffy wouldn't try anything because that's not who he is."

"Well, that's good to know, then," Nami said. "Still...when I was trying to pleasure Luffy the other night...all he did was cry out your name...and...and it hurt me."

"Oh, Nami, I know it did," Robin said, "and I am so sorry. I just feel terrible...and I'm sure Luffy does, too."

"I know," Nami replied, "but...I'm still worried...what if he decides that he doesn't love me, anymore?"

"Nami, that's ridiculous," Robin said. "Luffy will always love you. What you two have is special, and nothing will change that."

"Are you sure?" Nami asked, hopefully.

"Positive," Robin nodded. "After all, Luffy still has that...child-like mentality. Until you two got together, he never once had an interest in the opposite sex."

"...That's true," Nami concurred as the archaeologist held her hand.

"Trust me, Nami," Robin started, "you and Luffy will get through this...and in the end, he'll realize who he truly loves."

Nami smiled before she got up and hugged Robin, who returned her embrace.

"Thank you, Robin," she whispered, causing Robin to chuckle.

"Well, it's not over yet," the historian said. "First, we have to deal with Luffy's attraction to me...and I think I know just how to do it."

"How?" Nami asked, which caused Robin to smirk and whisper something in her ear, causing her to gasp and her face to blush all kinds of red. "No...!"

"Mm-hmm," Robin nodded.

"...Let's do it," Nami smirked.

 *****Timeskip brought to you by Aladdin's Halharl Infigar (Magi reference)***  
**  
Later on, as the sun had all but disappeared from beyond the horizon, and the _Sunny's_ deck was abuzz with chatter.

"Yohohoho!" Brook laughed. "It's almost party time~!"

Blizzard only let out a lazy yawn as he rested on the deck, with Zoro lying on his side, while Chopper set down a blanket and some snacks.

"Hey, Sanji!" Usopp called as he brought up some barrels from below deck. "I got more ale!"

"And cola, too!" Franky added, holding bottles of cola.

"Perfect!" Sanji exclaimed. "Thanks, Usopp, just put 'em on the deck!"

"Sanji, I think the pizzas are done!" Aika said as she and Kumi looked at the oven, watching the pizzas cook inside, prompting the cook to open it and take them out of the oven.

"Thank you, sweetie," said Sanji as he put two more pizzas into the oven, one topped with 3 cheeses, olives, sausage, and pepperoni, and another topped with 3 cheeses, onions, red and green peppers, pepperoni, and mushrooms. He also put in two glass trays of wings, marinated in a spicy sauce. "By the way, still wondering about Luffy. He hasn't been acting himself, lately. I thought he'd try and snatch the food while I was making it, or something."

"I think he and Big Sis are still fighting," said Aika.

"I see," Sanji surmised. "Well, I just hope they make up in time for the party."

"...So do I," Aika said.

 *****Meanwhile*****

In the bathhouse, Luffy was taking another shower, and while it did cleanse his body...it did not really cleanse his mind. As he looked down, he saw, to his shock, that he was once again hard as a rock.

"Oh, come on!" he groaned as he put his hands to his head. "What's wrong with me?! I love Nami...I know that...so why am I thinking about Robin, all the time?! Why, why, WHY?!"

Just then, he heard the door open, causing him to sigh.

"Great," he muttered. "Now what?"

"Luffy?"

Luffy gasped as he turned to see Nami and Robin...both of them in towels.

"N-Nami?" he asked. "Robin? W-what are you two doing here?!"

"Relax, Luffy," Nami said. "We're not here to hurt you...we wanna help."

"...Help me how?" Luffy asked, worriedly.

"Well...Robin actually has an idea," Nami answered. "Granted, it might not be something you'd like, but...we think it might be able to help."

"W...what kind of plan?" Luffy asked, only for Robin to go over to him and whisper in his ear, causing him to blush red. "W...we should do what?!"

"Now, Luffy," Robin began, "I know you probably don't like the idea, but we just wanna help you-"

"Yeah, but not like that!" Luffy shouted. "How can you even think about that?!"

"Luffy-" Nami started, only for Luffy to back away from her until he was up against the wall.

"S-stay away from me!" he shouted, causing Nami to gasp. "I...I just can't do this! I can't go through with...THAT!"

"Luffy," Robin started, "we're only trying to help you...so you can see who you really love more: me or Nami."

"But why would you even suggest something like that?!" Luffy questioned. "I can't do this! Not in front of...Nami."

Nami looked at Luffy, who glanced up at her, sadly.

"I don't wanna hurt you, Nami," he said. "Not more than I have, already."

A pause...but then Nami smiled before she went over and kissed him on the lips, taking him by surprise. Then, she pulled away and touched his forehead with hers.

"You could never hurt me, Luffy," she said, "and even if you did...I know you wouldn't do it on purpose."

"Really?" Luffy asked.

"Yes, really," Nami nodded. "So...what do you think?"

"...I'm still not sure," Luffy replied. "I mean...okay...maybe I've thought about it a few times...but I thought that if I did that, it would be like cheating on you...and I don't wanna cheat on you!"

"It's not cheating, Luffy," Nami began, "as long as I consent...and I wanna do this! If it'll help you, then I'll do whatever it takes, okay? You should know that! And if you thought about it at least once or twice...then I think that maybe this is long overdue. So come on...let's do this. Please?"

Luffy blinked at Nami, then glanced over to Robin, who nodded her head in approval before he glanced back at Nami, who smiled in reassurance before he smiled and nodded his head, too.

 *****Back outside***  
**  
"Hey," Usopp said as he sat down with the others, "where are Luffy, Nami, and Robin?"

"Beats me," Chopper shrugged.

"I hope they're okay," Aika spoke up, worriedly. "We pretty haven't seen them all day."

"It's especially strange for Mister Luffy not to be here," Brook added.

 _"Yeah, he usually jumps at the chance to eat Sanji's cooking,"_ Blizzard chimed in.

"Oh, for the love of Neptune," Zoro grumbled as he got up. "I'll go get them. They're probably around here, somewhere."

With that, he got up and walked away in search of the captain, navigator, and the archaeologist...but as he neared the bathhouse he heard an odd noise...almost like some kind of moan. Puzzled, yet curious, Zoro approached the bathhouse and saw that the door was open, just a crack...and as he peaked inside, he gasped in surprise at what he was seeing: Luffy, sitting back on the floor...as Nami _and_ Robin both licked at his erect schlong!

"Haaaaaa...!" Luffy moaned, his eyes nearly rolling into the back of his skull, while Nami and Robin kept on licking and sucking on his Adam's Rod.

"Mmm...it's so big...!" Robin said as she licked up and down.

"I told you," Nami replied as she licked at the tip of Luffy's schlong and even sucking on it.

"Ohhhh, yeah...!" Luffy moaned. "Gimme more~!"

"May I?" Robin asked as Nami backed away, allowing her to lick and suck on the tip, as well.

"Mmmmph...!" Luffy moaned, chewing his lip as he threw his head back. "Ohhhh, yeah! Just like that!"

Then, Nami sat on Luffy's stomach, her hands on his chest...and began to kiss him, causing him to moan in her mouth as he allowed his tongue to roam inside while Robin continued to suck Luffy off. As Nami and Luffy made out, the latter began to grope on her luscious melons, squeezing and jiggling them up and down and left and right...causing Nami to moan even more.

"Ohhh, yeah...!" Luffy moaned. "That's the stuff, baby...!"

Robin chuckled as she kept licking and sucking on Luffy's lollipop...but then, out of nowhere, she gasped as she turned to see Zoro...who smirked as he had his hands on her ass. A beat passes, but then she smirked back at him.

"Well, hello," she greeted in a sultry tone.

"Am I late to the party?" Zoro asked.

"Nope," Nami answered. "In fact, you're just in time."

"Perfect," Zoro said before he got down on his knees...and began to penetrate Robin's womanhood, causing her to moan loudly as she kept sucking on Luffy's schlong. Then, he began to thrust, in and out, causing her to moan even more.

"Tholo...!" Robin cried, her voice muffled by Luffy's cock.

"I gotta admit," Zoro began, "this is pretty hot."

"Yeah...it is," Luffy agreed between Nami's kisses. As they made out and Zoro was ramming Robin...the swordsman suddenly had an idea.

"Hey, Nami," Zoro said. "Come here a minute, huh?"

"Wha...?" Nami muttered in confusion. "Why?"

"Just come here," Zoro said. "I wanna try something."

Nami blinked before she crawled over to Zoro...who put his hands on Nami's shoulder and proceeded to kiss her, causing her to squeak in slight surprise...but then, she moaned as she began to kiss the swordsman back. All the while, Zoro was still thrusting into Robin, who moaned as she deep-throated Luffy's schlong. That only Luffy, staring at Nami's round, plush ass...and then, he reached up and grabbed the two cheeks, squeezing them with his bare hands, which caused Nami to moan in Zoro's mouth even more. Then, he lowered his head down and began to suck on Nami's wet, hot pussy, which drove her absolutely up the wall.

"I can't believe...this is happening...!" Luffy moaned as he kept licking inside Nami's womanhood. "Is this a dream?"

"Nope," Zoro answered as he kept kissing Nami on the lips and rubbing on her ample cans.

"Ngh...Robin...!" Luffy grunted. "I...I think I'm about to...!"

Before he could even finish that sentence, he came right in Robin's mouth, causing her to gag and cough as she pulled away, and even then, Luffy's seed spilled all over her chest. At the same time, Nami, already sensitive from the teasing that Luffy gave her, plus Zoro kissing her, came in Luffy's mouth, too. He coughed a bit, but then he quickly licked it up, and Robin did the same as she licked up Luffy's cum, too. At that moment, she winced when she felt Zoro's cock hitting her G-spot, causing tears of pleasure to fall from her eyes, making her mewl as he kept going into her. To silence her, or at least keep the noise to a minimum, Luffy did something that some people would only imagine him doing: kiss Robin on the lips.  
 _  
'Wow, Nami wasn't kidding,'_ Robin thought as she felt Luffy's tongue roam around in her mouth. _'He really is a good kisser...a little sloppier than Zoro, though.'  
_  
Meanwhile, Zoro was busy eating Nami out, this time, since Luffy had had his turn.

"Mmmm...not bad," Zoro said as he kept licking inside her wet pussy, causing her to moan loudly.

"Uuuuuuunnh~!" Nami cried out. "Dammit~! It feels so good!"  
 **  
***With the others*****

"Hey, you guys hear something?" asked Usopp.

"Nope," Franky answered.

"Not me," Aika added.

"Huh," Sanji muttered. "That's funny. I thought I heard something, though."

"You too, huh?" Usopp queried.

"Yes, I thought I heard something as well," Brook said.

"Huh," Usopp murmured. "Maybe it's just me."

"Yeah," Sanji shrugged. "I wonder what's taking Moss-head so long?"

"Maybe he got lost?" Aika asked, causing Kumi and the rest of the boys to snicker.

"You know, Aika?" Usopp inquired. "I wouldn't put it passed him!"

 *****Back in the bathhouse***  
**  
"Aaaahhh...!" Robin moaned as she kept feeling Zoro thrust into her while she still had her lips locked with Luffy. "Z...Zoro...! I think...I'm about to...!"

"Yeah, same here," Zoro replied, still eating Nami out as he kept ramming into Robin, going a bit faster than before, causing Robin to cry out with each one, and Nami kept moaning the more she felt the first mate's tongue swirling around inside her womanhood.

 _'No wonder Robin screams, sometimes!'_ Nami thought. _'He's a freaking animal!'  
_  
After several consecutive thrusts from Zoro, he, Robin, and Nami all climaxed at once, and they all panted breathlessly.

"How...how do you feel...Luffy?" Robin asked.

Luffy looked down...and saw that he was still hard. He then looked to Robin, who looked back at him with a serious expression. Then, he looked over at Nami, who blinked at him curiously before she smiled and nodded her head.

"Like I said," said Nami. "You're not hurting me."

"Good," Luffy smiled. "So...while she's riding on me...come and sit on my face."

Nami blushed heavily at this request...but then she smirked before she crawled over to Luffy and sat down so that her pussy was right on her captain's face. Then, while Luffy was busy licking inside her womanhood...Robin went and sat down on his schlong, causing him to moan, before she started to bounce on him, causing her cans to start bouncing, as well, and as if that wasn't enough, Zoro stood in front of Nami...his erect manhood right in her face.

 _'Holy shit, he's huge!'_ Nami thought. _'He's just as big as Luffy is!'_

"You know I'm not gonna left out, either," said Zoro...causing Nami to gulp before she took the whole thing in her mouth...even though it looked like it could barely fit. She even gagged when the tip into the back of her throat, but she managed it. So, she started sucking hungrily, instinct taking over, but Zoro wasn't going to let her do all the work, so he began to thrust inside her mouth, causing her to gag a bit more before she began to moan. Having Luffy eating her out only made her moan even louder. As if that wasn't good enough, though, Luffy had started to thrust upward into Robin, causing her to moan even louder, but Zoro quickly muffled her cries with a kiss, which in turn caused Robin to wrap her arms around his neck.

 *****Back outside*****

Blizzard groaned as he held his paws over his ears, his pink eyes bloodshot with anger, while Sanji was busy serving drinks to Usopp, Franky, Brook, Chopper, and Aika (who got cream soda).

 _"What's up with you, Blizzard?"_ Kumi asked.

 _"I'm gonna kill those horn-dogs...!"_ Blizzard groaned.

 _"...What's a horn-dog?"_ Kumi queried.

 *****Back in the bathhouse***  
**  
"Mmmm...!" Luffy moaned as he kept licking inside Nami's pussy. "Robin...you're really tight, now!"

Robin tried to speak, but she was too busy kissing Zoro, who was thrusting into Nami's mouth.

"Mmf! Mmmf!" she cried. "Aaaahhhmm~!"

"Mmmmmmhhhmmph~!" Nami moaned, her voice muffled by Zoro's large cock.

"Ahhh...Luffy...!" Robin called, her voice muffled by Zoro's tongue. "I...I think...I think I'm about to...!"

"Me, too...!" Luffy replied. "Just hang on a bit longer, though!"

"Right," Robin nodded while Zoro kept kissing her, and Nami kept sucking the green-haired swordsman off, and his schlong was already sticky and wet with pre-cum.

"Aaaaahh~!" Luffy moaned, feeling his orgasm reaching its peak. "Dammit...I can't hold it any longer...!"

"Neither can I!" Robin cried, and before too long, they both climaxed, Luffy's hot seed spilling inside Robin's wet cavern. At the same time, Zoro had just came into Nami's mouth, causing her to gag as she pulled away from him, coughing up his man juices before she panted and looked up at Zoro. "You know...you weren't exactly part of the plan."

"Well, I couldn't let you guys have all the fun," Zoro smirked. "Anyway, I just wanted to see what it was like for you and Luffy when you guys do it. It's okay, but not like things between me and Robin."

"Hmph," Nami scoffed.

"Anyway," Zoro began, "I think we're done here, so it's probably time we headed outside. Besides, there's a party going on, and everyone's probably wondering where we are."

"Oh, I see," Robin mused as she got up. "Then perhaps we better join them."

"Yeah, I guess," Nami answered...but then, she felt an arm reach out and grab onto her wrist, causing her to look back and see Luffy...whose eyes were hooded by his hair. "Uhh...Luffy?"

A pause...but then a smirk appeared on Luffy's lips as he looked up at her with a sultry look in his eyes, causing Nami to squeak in surprise.

"...Zoro...Robin," Luffy said. "You guys go on without us...we'll join you after we have our own little party."

"...Luffy?" Nami asked, a smile appearing on her face. "Are you...?!"

"Yeah," Luffy grinned. "Now get over here...and let me fuck your brains out."

"...Out," Nami said. "Now."

"Got it," Zoro replied as he walked out with Robin, who had already gotten dressed in a change of clothes.

"Have fun, you two," Robin said with an amused chuckle. As they walked, Zoro put his arm around Robin's shoulders.

"...So...when you and Luffy were...you know," he started, "you didn't really feel anything...did you?"

A pause...but then Robin smiled.

"Does this answer your question?" she asked...before she kissed Zoro on the lips, causing him to gasp in surprise a bit...but then he smiled against her lips before returning the kiss. It was at that moment he knew that even if she and Luffy had that little...moment...he would always be the one she'd come back to.

"Hey, there you two are!" Usopp called. "Where've you been?!"

"Yeah!" Chopper exclaimed. "We almost kept partying without you guys!"

"Where are Big Brother and Big Sis Nami?" Aika asked, eating a slice of pizza. "Aren't they coming?"

"Oh...they'll be along, real soon," Robin assured. "Now then...do you mind sharing some of that pizza with your Aunt Robin?"

"Shishishishi!" Aika giggled as she gave the archaeologist a slice of pizza, too. "Here you go, Aunt Robin!"

"Thank you, sweetie," Robin smiled and pet Aika on the head.

"Uhhh..." Sanji muttered as he sniffed the air. "What's that smell? It smells like sweat, anger, and shame."

Zoro and Robin blushed before glancing at each other, then back at the others.

"Umm...don't worry about it," the swordsman said.  
 **  
***Back in the bathhouse*****

Luffy panted as he rammed into Nami, over and over, the latter leaning over the bathtub while she sat on her knees.

"Ohhhh~!" Nami moaned. "Luffy~! Oh, my god~!"

"Nami~!" Luffy cried. "Oh, man, I don't wanna stop!"

"Then don't!" Nami shouted. "Don't stop until I cum everywhere!"

Luffy grunted with each thrust he made, while Nami cried out every time she felt his throbbing cock inside her.

"Yes! Yes!" Nami cried.

"Robin may be hot," Luffy began, "but Nami...you'll always be my number one, no matter what!"

Nami smiled at this as Luffy kept ramming into her womanhood.

"...Luffy?" she asked.

"Yeah?" Luffy asked.

"...I'm sorry I doubted you," Nami answered.

"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed. "It's okay."

Nami smiled as her captain kept thrusting into her, hitting just the right spot, which caused her to moan in pleasure as tears fell from her eyes. After about 12 more consecutive thrusts...she and Luffy finally climaxed before they both collapsed on the floor. Nami panted breathlessly, her body sore and quivering...but then, Luffy wrapped his arms around her and held her close, causing her to smile.

"...I love you, Luffy," Nami whispered.

"I love you, too," Luffy whispered back as he kissed Nami on the lips, causing her to return it. However, Luffy suddenly stopped as he pulled away and sniffed the air. "Wait...I smell pizza! Why didn't anybody tell me?!"

Hearing this caused Nami to laugh.

"Yeah, you're back to normal, all right," she said as she grabbed a change of clothes, as well and got dressed, as did Luffy, who quickly ran out to go eat.

"Food for me~!" Luffy called out, causing the rest of the Straw Hats to cheer.

"Finally!" Usopp exclaimed. "Now it's a party!"

"Big Brother~!" Aika cheered as she ran up and jumped into Luffy's arms, causing him to laugh.

"Hi, Aika!" Luffy said. "Hope I didn't keep you waiting, too long!"

"You're just in time," Sanji said as he brought out three more pizzas; two in his hands and one balanced on his head. "Just made some more pizza."

"WHOO~!" Luffy cheered.

"Room for one more?" Nami asked as she came out, too.

"Big Sis Nami!" Aika exclaimed as she jumped into Nami's arms, next, causing her to laugh, as well.

"Hi, Aika," Nami greeted. "Sorry I took so long...and don't worry. Everything's okay, now."

"That's good," Aika said.

"What were you two doing in there, anyways?" asked Chopper, which caused Luffy and Nami to blush before they glanced at each other, then at Zoro and Robin, who blushed as well.

"Well...it's a long story," Luffy answered as he began to eat his pizza.

"You know, Luffy," Nami began, "I've always wondered something...are you sure you've never felt any kind of sexual attraction towards a woman? Not even once?"

"Hmm..." Luffy hummed as he took another bite of his pizza...as his mind wandered to his early teenage years.

 _Flashback_

In Goa Kingdom, as the people walked through the busy streets, 13-year-old Luffy panted as he ran through a crowd of people, trying to weave around as many people as he could. Not too far from him was a man in a chef's outfit, holding a meat cleaver in his hand.

"Get back here, you pig!" the chef shouted. "You and your brother won't get away that easily!"

Once he broke through the crowd, however, he saw that Luffy had somehow disappeared. After scanning the are several times, he realized that the eat-and-runner had gotten away, causing him to groan in frustration before he turned and walked away, but had he stayed longer, he would've seen that Luffy was hiding behind the corner of somebody's house. He snickered, thinking that he had outsmarted the chef...but then, he heard the sound of running water coming from inside the house, as well as the sound of someone humming. Luffy looked up, only to see an open window, and, with his usual curiosity, he looked inside...only to see a woman with long, blonde hair, standing under the shower head as water fell all over her soaked body, rinsing off the suds on her skin, from her long hair, to her ample bust, to her perfectly rounded ass, and her nice, smooth legs.

Luffy only stared at the woman...his cheeks growing warm...and a strange tingling sensation going on in his nether region.

"There you are!"

Luffy yelped as he felt a hand grab the back of his shirt and pull him away from the window, only to turn and see that it was just Ace.

"Oh!" Luffy piped up. "Hey, Ace!"

"I was starting to think you got lost or something," said Ace as he let go of Luffy's shirt. "What were you doing, looking in there, anyway?"

"I dunno," Luffy shrugged. "I just saw a lady in the shower."

"Oh," Ace muttered. "Well, it's probably nothing too serious. Anyway, let's head back. Dadan's probably wondering where we are, by now."

"Okay," Luffy replied as he followed his brother away...but for some reason, he couldn't stop thinking about that woman from earlier.

 _Flashback end  
_  
"...Eh," Luffy shrugged. "I guess I'll never know."

 **THE END**

* * *

Well, this was certainly something new that I tried out. I hope you guys still enjoyed it.

Review, please!


	20. Prey

One Piece Prompts  
Prey

* * *

During his training on Rusukaina, Blizzard is continuously attacked by three vicious animals, and since it's survival of the fittest, out here, it's time for Blizzard to prove who is really the prey.

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard © Me

* * *

 **FSSSSSSSSSSSHH!** The rain was pouring down on the jungles of Rusukaina. It was the beginning of the rainy season, and the animals residing in the jungle were taking shelter anywhere and everywhere they could. In one particular part of the jungle, there sits a lone cave that provided its single resident sanctuary from the rain.

That resident...was one "White Wolf" Blizzard, who let out a lazy yawn as he held up his claw and scrawled a diagonal tally mark over 4 others on the stone wall...which held many more.

 _'...It's been 90 days,'_ Blizzard thought. _'90 days since Luffy and I first came here.'_

That's right. It had been exactly 3 whole months since Luffy and Blizzard had begun their training, here on the savage island of Rusukaina. One might wonder why the wolf-dog wasn't with his best friend, but it was simply because Blizzard felt that he would Luffy back during his training. Of course, the latter was saddened by this, not wanting to be separated from the one who still gave him comfort and help snap him out of his state of self-doubt after the death of his older brother, but he knew that this was for the best.

They had to get stronger in order to tackle the New World...or else.

 _'...I wonder what Luffy's up to,'_ thought Blizzard as he looked outside, watching the rain fall from the sky, but then he quickly shook his head. _'No, Blizzard, don't think about him...no matter how much you miss him or the others.'_

Of course, it was inevitable. No matter how much he tried to avoid it, Blizzard couldn't help but miss Luffy...as well as the other members of the Straw Hats, who had been scattered to the far corners of the world.

He couldn't help but wonder what they were doing now...and what measures they were taking to get stronger, themselves.

As Blizzard was contemplating, he looked back outside to check and see if the rains were going to stop...but it didn't seem likely. Not really wanting to get wet, Blizzard decided to try and sleep through the rainstorm...but then, he soon heard a deep rumbling sound, and it wasn't coming from the sky.

 _'Great,'_ Blizzard thought in exasperation. _'I WOULD get hungry, now.'  
_  
Deciding that complaining wouldn't do anything, the wolf-dog cautiously stepped out, looking to the left, then to right, before he walked out, his ears pricked up and alert. One couldn't really blame him for being so cautious. The first week Blizzard was here, sometime after he left Luffy, he was out trying to get a grasp of his surroundings...only to have an unfortunate with a giant rhinoceros. Try as he might, the little wolf-dog, barely half the size of the burly beast's hoof, was no match for the rhino and was nearly gored to death as a result of his recklessness, but thankfully, he managed to escape to live another day.

It was a harsh reminder that here on Rusukaina, any animal, even an innocent-looking rabbit, could be dangerous and should not be underestimated. Like Rayleigh had said, one must always be on their guard, here...lest you wind up as someone's prey.

 **BABOOM!** A thunder clap started Blizzard as a bolt of lightning struck a tree near him, causing it to come falling toward him. The wolf-dog gasped as he barely managed to dodge the tree, which collapsed with a massive **THUD!**

 _'...Ironic, how this island is in a place called the Calm Belt,'_ Blizzard thought, _'when there's really nothing calm about it...in fact, there's nothing calm about this part of the sea.'_

With that, he continued on in his search for food. As he continued walking, his ears perked at the sound of a rushing river, causing him to beam before he began to break into a run. As he approached it, he saw some fish, leaping out of the water. Blizzard licked his lips as he approached the riverbank, looked down at the water, then opened his jaws and **CHOMP!** He snatched up a large trout with his mouth. Smiling at the success of his catch, Blizzard turned and headed back for his den. However, as he kept walking...he suddenly heard footsteps behind him. At first, the wolf-dog didn't think anything of it...but as the footsteps got closer, the ground seemed to tremble. Then, Blizzard's eyes went wide as he heard the deep lowing of a bear...and it was dreadfully close.

 _"Dammit!"_ Blizzard cursed as he began to run, but the bear was right behind him, and it was then that Blizzard realize what the beast wanted: the fish that the wolf-dog had caught. As Blizzard glanced back, he saw the huge bear, almost as big and tall as the mountains, with black fur, a brown muzzle, and a scar going across his muzzle. So huge was this bear, that his gigantic head practically toppled the trees from their roots. Blizzard panted as he ran faster and faster, but the bear was quickly catching up to him. The falling rain and the thickness of the forest did little to help with his vision or sense of smell.

Before too long, Blizzard found himself in a dead end. He paced back and forth, trying to find a way up the ridge, but it was too late, for the bear had soon caught up, growling as he stalked the wolf-dog, who growled back at him with the trout still in his jaws. However, Blizzard's ears twitched as he heard more footsteps approach, and soon after, a large hyena with grayish-blue fur and dark gray spots appeared, cackling wildly.  
 _  
"Are you kidding me?!"_ Blizzard questioned. _"A hyena, too?! What are the odds?!"  
_  
The hyena growled as he licked his chops while the bear drew even closer, causing the wolf-dog to growl back before he put down the trout.

"Fine, you wanna play?" asked Blizzard. "Then let's play!"

With that, he let out a vicious bark before he lunged for his nearest foe!

 *****Timeskip brought to you by Yunan the Wanderer (Magi reference)*****

The next morning, somewhere in the forest, Rayleigh was walking down the path with Luffy following along behind him.

"So, what are we doing today, Rayleigh?" Luffy asked.

"Well, you've gotten Conqueror's Haki down pat," Rayleigh answered, "now we're working on your Armaments and Observation Haki next."

"Oh, okay," Luffy replied. "So...where are you taking me?"

"There's a lake with a waterfall," Rayleigh said. "There, you will sit under the falls and sit in a deep meditative trance."

"Sooo...meditation," Luffy repeated. "That sounds kinda boring."

"Boring, it may be," Rayleigh began, "but it's necessary."

"If you say so," Luffy shrugged, but as they walked, the Dark King suddenly spotted something on the ground. It looked like a set of paw prints, as well as white fur...and specks of blood on the dirt. Rayleigh's eyes went wide, a chill going down his spine before he glanced over at Luffy, who blinked at him.

"What is it, Rayleigh?" Luffy asked as he was about to approach. "You see something?"

"No!" Rayleigh shouted, causing Luffy to jump back slight in surprise. "I-I mean...no...nothing to worry too much about. Listen...you go on ahead without me and I'll catch up later, understand?"

"Uhhh...sure, Rayleigh," Luffy replied as he went on ahead. "Whatever you say."

With that, Luffy walked onward...but Rayleigh glanced back at the bloody paw print trail before he began to follow it, making sure Luffy was out of sight so he wouldn't attempt to follow. The Dark King continued to walk, deeper and deeper into the forest...until he saw that the trail ended at the mouth of a cave. Rayleigh paused...but then he entered the dark cavern, where there was nothing but silence.

"...Blizzard?" Rayleigh called. "Blizzard...are you in here? It's me, Rayleigh! I know you're here...it's faint, but I can still hear the voice of your spirit."

A pause...but then, a white blur suddenly lunged out at Rayleigh, who simply side-stepped out of the way before he turned around...and saw that it was Blizzard. However...the wolf-dog was covered in various scratches, his eyes wide and crazed as saliva dripped from his mouth, and his fangs bare for the world to see.

"Blizzard...?!" Rayleigh whispered in horror, only for the wolf-dog hybrid to bark viciously as he charged at the Dark King, who held out his hand and slammed his palm into his neck, causing him to yowl in pain. Then, Rayleigh wrapped his arms around the wolf-dog, causing him to growl and snarl, snapping his jaws at the air. "Blizzard, take it easy! Calm down!"  
 _  
"LET GO OF ME, YOU BASTARD!"_ Blizzard shouted. "WHOEVER THE HELL YOU ARE, LET ME THE HELL GO! I'LL BITE YOUR HEADS OFF, WHEREVER YOU ARE!"

That's when Rayleigh noticed something in the wolf-dog's eyes...something he never thought he would see: this poor canine was absolutely _terrified_.

"Blizzard," Rayleigh soothed as he began to pet him on the head and neck. "Blizzard, relax, all right? It's me, Rayleigh. You're okay, now. You're okay."

At that, Blizzard began to relax and his body started to grow limp as he lied on his side.

 _"R...R-Rayleigh...?"_ he whispered, his eyes becoming docile. _"Is that you?"  
_  
"Yeah, it's me," answered Rayleigh. "Sorry I grabbed you, but it was the only way to get you to calm down."

 _"...Where's Luffy?"_ Blizzard asked. _"He's not here, is he?"  
_  
"No," Rayleigh shook his head.  
 _  
"Good,"_ Blizzard replied. _"He doesn't need to see me like this, anyway."_

"...May I ask what happened?" Rayleigh queried.

 _"...I was ambushed, last night,"_ admitted Blizzard. _"I went out to get myself something to eat...and then I got attacked by a bear and a hyena."_

"I see," Rayleigh muttered as he looked at the wolf-dog's injuries. "Looked like it was a really bad scuffle you got in."

 _"The worst part is I didn't get to keep the fish,"_ Blizzard grumbled.

"Sorry about that, Blizzard," Rayleigh said. "They sure did a number on you, I'll admit." He then gave a wry grin. "You might pass yourself up as a zombie."

 _"Do you really think this is the time for jokes?!"_ Blizzard questioned. _"Dammit, be serious, old man!"_

"...Excuse me?" Rayleigh glared. "Do you know who you're talking to?"

 _"...I'm sorry, Rayleigh,"_ Blizzard apologized, looking down at the ground in shame. "It's just...normally, I can take on animals like that without a problem, but this time-"

"I understand, Blizzard," the Dark King sympathized. "Losses aren't easy to deal with...especially after you suffer so many."

Blizzard sighed...as he remembered the events of the Paramount War, 3 months ago, as well as the events before that...such as the Straw Hats getting separated from each other by Bartholomew Kuma on the Sabaody Archipelago.

"...How am I supposed to protect Luffy," the wolf-dog started, "when I can't even protect myself?"

"Luffy's very lucky to have you for his dog," Rayleigh smiled.

 _"...Dog?"_ Blizzard repeated. _"Tch! I don't even consider myself that...he and I...we're best friends. He practically saved my life. If it weren't for him, I'd still be waiting for a master that wouldn't even be returning to me."_

"Oh, yeah," Rayleigh remembered. "If I recall, Luffy said your old Master was murdered by a traitor, am I right?"  
 _  
"Yes,"_ Blizzard nodded. _"I owe Luffy my life...and yet I can't even protect my own...look at what happened to me at Marineford. I got skewered in the back by arrows, I got pummeled every 5 seconds, I was forced to kill my own BROTHER out of mercy, I got stabbed by an ice spear, shot by lasers, slashed by sabers, and finally, burned by magma! I barely survived that, and what happens to me, last night?! I NEARLY GET MAULED BY TWO WALKING SHAG RUGS!"_

"BLIZZARD!" Rayleigh barked, causing the wolf-dog to gasp while the retired pirate glared.

 _"...I...I'm sorry,"_ Blizzard apologized.

"...It's okay to be angry, Blizzard," Rayleigh said. "I understand. You tried to be strong because you wanted to look that way for Luffy...but it's okay to be frustrated. Just don't hold onto it too much."

Blizzard smiled, his heavy heart beginning to lighten, which in turn caused Rayleigh to smile, as well.

And so, after a while, Rayleigh tended to Blizzard's wounds, bandaging them and leaving him some meat to eat, and then left to go check on Luffy's progress, promising the canine that he would not tell the Straw Hat Captain about seeing him. After Blizzard had eaten his fill, he was about to lie down and rest so that his wounds could heal...but nary.

 _"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP US!"_

Blizzard's eyes went wide as he heard the sound of frantic voices.

 _"Oh, what is it, now?"_ he grumbled as he came outside, only to find a pair of red foxes, one of which had a water lily in her left ear. At first, Blizzard didn't seem to know what the problem was...until something came bursting through the shrubs: a huge, white wild hog with large tusks!

 _"HE'S GONNA EAT US!"_ cried the female fox. _"SOMEBODY HELP!"  
_  
Blizzard watched worriedly as the foxes fled for their lives. He had seen foxes around here, but they were at least half as big as these two were, so obviously, these foxes were still quite young. Still, this had nothing to do with him. He was supposed to be resting, not helping young fox kits get out of trouble.

It was bad enough Luffy always did that.

Just as Blizzard was about to retreat into his cave, he felt his good conscience get the best of him.

 _"...Sometimes, I hate my goodwill,"_ Blizzard muttered before he ran out, chased after the wild hog before he leaped up and sunk his fangs into his back, causing him to let out a loud squeal of surprise and pain.

 _"Huh?"_ muttered the male red fox as he and his sister noticed Blizzard attacking their pursuer.

 _"Who's that?"_ asked the female red fox.

 _"Don't just sit there!"_ Blizzard shouted. "RUN!"

The fox kits glanced at each other, then back at their savior, before they turned and ran away while the wild hog tried to buck Blizzard off. The wolf-dog tried to hold on for dear life, but he was inevitably thrown off the hog's back and he fell to the ground. As he tried to get back up, he gasped as he saw the hog charge at him, furiously...followed by the sound of pained yowling and blood spraying in the air.

XXX

Rayleigh gasped as he looked back toward the forest, as did Luffy.

"Did you hear that, Rayleigh?" Luffy asked.

"...Go back to the camp, Luffy," Rayleigh told him as he walked off.

"W-wait, Rayleigh!" Luffy called.

"I SAID GO BACK TO THE CAMP!" Rayleigh shouted, causing Luffy to jump slightly at that sudden outburst, before he ran off.

"...What was that all about?" Luffy muttered in confusion.

"Dammit," Rayleigh cursed as he ran through the forest. "I only leave that dog alone for 5 minutes, and he's already in trouble!"

Soon, he emerged in the clearing, only to gasp in horror upon seeing Blizzard lying on the ground...in a pool of blood. In front of him was the hog, his tusks stained red. It didn't take long for the Dark King to realize what had just transpired. Then, the hog pawed the ground, preparing to gore Blizzard once again, but Rayleigh quickly jumped in the way as he began to charge, holding up his hand and grabbing the pig by a single tusk, causing him to stop right in his tracks. Then, Rayleigh sent a fierce glare at the hog, who felt his blood run cold.

"...Scram," Rayleigh hissed...and with that, the wild hog turned and ran off, squealing like a frightened piglet. Then, the elderly pirate turned to look at Blizzard, who grunted as he tried to get up. "What happened to you, now?"

 _"You mean it ain't obvious?"_ Blizzard asked. _"I got my tail handed to me again. At least I managed to save these two fox kits, though, so-"  
_  
"Now why would you go doing a thing like that?!" Rayleigh questioned, to the wolf-dog's surprise.

 _"I...I'm sorry...?"_ Blizzard murmured.

"Here in Rusukaina, it's survival of the fittest," Rayleigh said. "You can't go around, saving all the animals you see!"

 _"But...but Rayleigh, they were only children,"_ Blizzard argued. _"I couldn't just leave them to get eaten!"_

"That may be," Rayleigh began, "but I'm being realistic. Out here, it's every animal for themselves. If you really wanna get stronger out here, you have to drop that 'being the hero' mentality. I mean...look at Luffy. He's out here, every day, risking his life, fighting animals that are even bigger than he is, because he knows that if he lets his guard down, he'll be on the menu! Believe me...you're not the only one I've had to wrap up in bandages."

 _"Wait...you mean Luffy's been injured, too?!"_ Blizzard questioned.

"It happened a few days after he started his training," Rayleigh said. "He was almost mauled to death by a giant lion...and last month, he was being tossed around like a rag doll by a mountain gorilla when he went out to get some fruit, and the week before last, he was almost eaten by a giant alligator. The point is, Blizzard...I know you have admirable traits: you're loyal, you're faithful to your friends, you have morals, and you're willing to throw yourself in harm's way for the sake of somebody's life...but sometimes, and I really hate to say this...traits like those can be foolish. I'm not saying you should drop those traits entirely, but for the duration of your training. If you show any sign of weakness...the animals here will exploit that...and you could end up as their prey."

Blizzard was deathly silent...but Rayleigh just gave a smirk and asked, "So tell me, Blizzard...are you somebody's prey?"

A pause...but then Blizzard stood up, proud and tall, then gave a deep, powerful growl, causing Rayleigh to grin broadly.

"I thought so," the Dark King said.

"...First off," Blizzard began, "you know where I can find some fresh steel ore?"

"Steel ore?" Rayleigh repeated.

"Gotta make my fangs stronger, somehow," Blizzard replied.

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by Ban and King arguing (Seven Deadly Sins reference)*****

The rain had started again, later that evening. Luffy sat at his and Rayleigh's campsite, his only means of staying dry being a large leaf. At that moment, Rayleigh appeared, carrying meat and fruit with him.

"Hey, Luffy," Rayleigh smiled. "Sorry I took so long."

"Eh," Luffy shrugged. "It's okay. You brought food back, so I'm not complaining."

Rayleigh chuckled as he sat down, tossing Luffy an apple, which the Straw Hat Captain caught and took a bite of. Then, he looked up towards the dark, cloudy skies.

"Wow," Luffy said. "Sure is coming down, huh?"

"The rainy season of Rusukaina only lasts for a few days," answered Rayleigh.

"...You think Blizzard's okay?" Luffy asked.

"...You miss him, don't you?" Rayleigh inquired.

"I know that it's better if we train separately," Luffy started, "but...he's still my best friend, Rayleigh. I mean...if it wasn't for him...I'd still be back on Amazon Lily, wallowing in self-doubt."

"I understand," Rayleigh replied. "After all, you two have been through so much, together...that's why you two are here, now. So you can get stronger and protect each other...as well as the rest of your crew."

Luffy looked at his mentor with a determined expression.

"You're right, Rayleigh," he said. "Still...I wonder what Blizzard's up to."

"...I do, too," Rayleigh replied.

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by Virgil (Devil May Cry reference)*****

In his cave, Blizzard sits, alone, as he looks down at some various objects, such as thorny vines, some sharp steel ore tied to long branches, and logs with sharpened points. Blizzard stared at the items he obtained...his eyes having a serious glare in them.

 _'...Those bastards aren't gonna get the best of me,'_ he thought, _'or Luffy.'_

 _Flashback_

Blizzard growled as he was biting on a large hunk of steel ore. Rayleigh had told him exactly where to find some on Rusukaina, so he chose the biggest one he could find. He figured with this, he could make his fangs stronger and fully awaken his Observation Haki.

 _"Dammit,"_ cursed the wolf-dog as he let go of the ore, his jaws beginning to feel sore. _"I didn't even put a scratch on it! How do I expect to get stronger when I can't so much as a put a dent in this thing?!"_

 _"Mr. Wolf! Mr. Wolf, where are you?!"  
_  
Blizzard looked back to see the same male fox from earlier.

 _"Oh, it's you again,"_ Blizzard said. _"Listen, kid, I know you're probably grateful I saved your life, but next time, be a little more careful. I won't be able to save your tail, next time."_

 _"I-it's not that, Mr. Wolf!"_ the fox cried. _"You're in terrible danger!"_

 _"Oh, really?"_ Blizzard quipped. _"And just why do you say that?"_

 _"Remember that wild hog from before?"_ asked the fox. _"Well, he's also in league with that hyena and the bear that attacked you the other night! And they're after you!"_

 _"Please,"_ Blizzard muttered. _"Like I'm afraid of them."_

 _"They also said something about going after these two humans!"_ added the fox. _"Some old man and a kid in a red vest!"_

Blizzard's eyes went wide.

 _"...What did you say?"_ he asked...his voice sounding rather deep.

 _"I don't know who the kid is,"_ said the fox kit, _"but it sounds they've been harassing the animals around here for a while. If I were you, I'd steer clear of them! They're bad news!"_

A pause...but then, Blizzard stood up and walked passed the fox, who stepped aside.

 _"W-where are you going?"_ asked the fox.

 _"...I'm gonna find those three,"_ Blizzard began, _"and give them a piece of my mind."_

 _"What?!"_ the fox questioned. _"Are you crazy?! They'll kill you!"_

 _"...They could,"_ Blizzard replied, _"but trust me...I'm not gonna let 'em." He then glanced back at the fox and smirked. "When it comes to protecting my friends...I never back down."_

The fox gaped at the wolf-dog...feeling a sense of admiration swelling in his chest.

 _'So cool...!'_ he thought as Blizzard left...with a dangerous glare in his eyes.

 _'Anyone who tries to put so much as a scratch on Luffy,'_ he thought, _'is gonna answer to me!'_

 _Flashback end_

 **BABOOM!** Lightning cracked the clouds, momentarily lighting up the cave...and showing the vicious glare in his eyes.

 _"I'm coming for you sons of bitches,"_ he muttered.

XXX

Luffy and Rayleigh sat under some rocks, using them as a makeshift shelter against the downpour, the former blinking up at the sky with boredom. He gave a yawn as sleepiness began to overcome him, which caused Rayleigh to chuckle...but then he suddenly looked up and glared, as if he sensed something...3 somethings, to be exact.

"Hmm?" Luffy muttered. "What's up, Rayleigh?"

"Oh, nothing," answered Rayleigh. "Just some...wild beasts."

Luffy blinked at his mentor, but then shrugged as he began to lie down, letting sleep begin to take over. Rayleigh, however, remained vigilant, a serious stare looking out towards the jungle.

 _'...Don't do anything reckless, Blizzard,'_ thought the Dark King.

 *****Short timeskip brought to you Gild Tesoro (One Piece Film: Gold reference)*****

The bear, the hyena, and the wild hog all lumbered through the forest, trying to track down their next target. However, the oncoming rain made it hard to decipher scents and sounds, as well as offered limited sight.

 _"Uh...hey, boss?"_ asked the wild hog. _"Maybe we should turn back. This rain is getting pretty bad."_

 _"We're not going anywhere until we get those three intruders,"_ said the bear. _"So keep looking!"_

 _"Y-yes, boss,"_ said the hyena as he looked around, a bit nervously. _"It's just...I'm getting a bad feeling."_

 _"Oh, stop it,"_ the bear replied. _"What is there to be afraid of, anyway?"_

 _"...You guys have got some nerve, showing your faces around here,"_ a familiar voice called.

The bear, the hyena, and the hog looked up upon hearing that voice.

 _"H-hey!"_ the hyena exclaimed. _"Isn't that that white wolf from the other day?"_

 _"So he's still alive, after all,"_ the bear muttered in irritation. _"Where are you, you flea-bitten mongrel?! Show yourself!"_

A pause...but then, there was the crack of thunder, followed by a flash of lightning...which momentarily showed Blizzard, standing in the branches of the trees before everything went dark.

 _"I have claimed this part of the forest as my territory!"_ Blizzard called out. _"That means you three are trespassing! So...I'll give you a choice. Leave now and live! But stay...and face your destiny."_

 _"Ha!"_ the bear scoffed. _"What kind of nonsense is this?! Destiny, huh? Well, then...our destiny is YOUR death!"_

 _"...Have it your way,"_ Blizzard spoke.

All of a sudden, **WHOOSH! BAM!** A log suddenly swung down from the trees, hanging from a vine...and the edge was sharpened. Before there was so much a warning, **SHUNK!** The hyena was suddenly struck in the side by the log, which caused him to yowl in agony.

 _"HOLY CRAP!"_ the hog cried while the bear remained stunned.

 _"GET IT OUTTA ME!"_ the hyena cried as he tried to pull the log out. _"GET IT OUT!"_

The bear gaped for a moment, but then he growled.

 _"Are you really that much of a coward, wolf?!"_ he questioned. _"Using some little toys to get this fight to go your way?!"_

 _"I'm no coward,"_ Blizzard replied. _"I'm just smarter than you."_

On that, the white wolf-dog suddenly dashed out and stabbed the hog in the back with a spear made of bamboo and a sharpened piece of steel ore, causing him to squeal in pain. However, he quickly threw him off before he turned and charged at him, but Blizzard only smirked.

 _"I guess you just lost your last chance to kill me,"_ he said...before he easily side-stepped out of the way, leaving what looked like a bed of leaves behind him, but when the hog stepped on them...he fell right through, into a pit, causing him to squeal as he plummeted...followed by a sickening crunching sound as he fell in, and afterwards was an eerie silence.

 _"There's still two of you left,"_ Blizzard said as he stood upon a boulder. _"You can still run, now, if you wanna live...but if not, I can't say I'll be held responsible for my next course of action."_

 _"Screw you!"_ the bear shouted as the hyena finally managed to get the log out of his side. _"As if we'd run from some puny wolf!"_ He then turned and glared at the hyena. _"Get up, you idiot! Hurry up and kill him!"_

 _"R-right, boss!"_ the hyena answered as he tried to run at Blizzard, who jumped away from the boulder, causing the beast to bite it instead...and his fangs shattered into pieces upon impact. _"GAAAAAAHH! MY FANGS!"_

The bear growled as he approached the hyena, who whimpered as he looked up at him.

 _"You...USELESS WEAKLING!"_ the ursine shouted before he slashed his claws into the hyena's throat, causing him to gag...before he fell to the ground, lifeless.

 _"So I guess even you would kill your allies if need be,"_ Blizzard spoke up as he appeared behind the bear, who turned and glared at him. _"Tell me...what kind of animal are you?"_

 _"...A strong one,"_ the bear hissed before he let out a powerful roar and charged at Blizzard, who snarled before he charged back. He jumped over his huge claws before he landed on his back, biting on his muzzle, viciously, causing the bear to roar in pain.  
 _  
"Let go of me!"_ the bear ordered. _"LET GO, YOU LITTLE PARASITE!"_

 _"Not on your life!"_ Blizzard shouted as he continued to hang on tightly, sinking his fangs deeper into the flesh. Growing more angry with Blizzard's persistence, the bear turned and saw a cluster of trees, causing him to smirk before he began to run through them, causing them all to topple over, and Blizzard could no longer hold on and was soon thrown off, falling to the ground in a heap. He grunted as he hit the grass, panting in pain as his wounds throbbed.

 _"...You really are nothing but trouble, you little flea,"_ the bear said. _"Last time I saw you, you were barely able to escape from Death's door. This time, though, I won't let you go with just a gash on your belly. This time...I'm going to finish you, for good!"_

Blizzard was silent as he lay still.  
 _  
"So...any last words?"_ the bear queried with a sinister chuckle.

 _"...Just six, really,"_ Blizzard began as he got to his feet. _"...Smile, you son of a bitch."_

He then turned and growled at the bear...showing his blackened fangs, to the bear's shock, but before he could so much as bat an eye, the wolf-dog jumped at his throat, sank his Haki-imbued fangs into the jugular...and then tore it open, causing blood to spray from the bear's neck...and then, **THUD!** The bear collapsed...dead. Blizzard heaved a sigh of a relief as he backed away from the bear's corpse.

 _"Finally..."_ the wolf-dog muttered...but then, **GRROOOOOOOOOOOOWWWL~!** His stomach made a deep growl, indicating his starvation. He sighed, knowing he had not eaten for quite some time, but then he looked up at the bear's corpse, which caused him to smile.

 *****Timeskip brought to you by Jack's sword (Samurai Jack reference)*****

The next morning, the sun had begun to rise and the rain had stopped...for the time being.

"Luffy!" Rayleigh called. "Time to wake up!"

"Mmmnn..." Luffy groaned as he began to wake up, rubbing his eye sleepily. "What's for breakfast?"

"I'm about to go out and look for some, now," said Rayleigh. "You're gonna need your strength, you know."

"Good!" Luffy replied. "'Cuz I wanna beat up that lion, that gorilla, and that gator once and for all!"

 **GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRWWWWWLL~!  
**  
"Ugggghh...!" Luffy groaned as he put his hands on his rumbling stomach. "And maybe eat 'em, too."

Rayleigh chuckled as he walked toward the campsite...only to gasp upon seeing the corpses of the hyena and the wild hog!

"What on earth...?!" he questioned.

"It's...it's...IT'S MEAT~!" Luffy exclaimed with a drooling mouth and starry eyes before he ran over to them. "Come on, Rayleigh! We're having pork roast and grilled hyena!"

As Rayleigh went to take a closer look at the bodies, he gasped as he saw several bite marks on them...left behind by wolf teeth.  
 _  
'...Blizzard...was this your doing?'_ thought the Dark King.

Just then... ** _ARROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~!_** On the wind, a long, almost eerie howl was carried, causing Luffy and Rayleigh to look. Hearing that howl caused them both to smile, broadly...the former more so than the latter.

"...Just wait, Blizzard," Luffy said. "Just 9 more months, and we'll be together again...and I promise I'll get stronger!" He then took a deep breath. "YOU BETTER DO THE SAME, YOU HEAR ME, BUDDY~?!"

XXX

Blizzard sat in his den, eating some nice fresh bear meat and lying on his new bear skin rug. As he did...he looked out towards the open and smiled.

 _'...Just wait, Luffy,'_ Blizzard thought. _'2 years will be up before we know it...and I promise, by then, I'll be even stronger so that I can protect you and the others.'_ He then glanced back at the giant hunk of steel ore behind him. _'That is...as soon as I crack THAT open.'_

Blizzard's first trial may have ended...but his training had still only just begun. However, one thing was for certain: "White Wolf" Blizzard...was nobody's prey.

 **THE END**

* * *

Finally, I got this up! Sorry I took so long with this. And thanks, again, Gakuto1991, for suggesting this and helping me out!

Review, please!


	21. Mommy

One Piece Prompts:  
Mommy

* * *

Summary- During a regular morning, Robin realizes how much she means to Aika.

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, and Kumi © Me

* * *

The day started out like any other on the _Thousand Sunny_. The sun was just beginning to rise and some of the Straw Hats were just beginning to wake up. Sanji was already in the kitchen, getting ready to make breakfast for everyone while Brook stood at the helm, having himself his usual cup of morning tea. As for Robin, she was just going into the kitchen for her cup of coffee.

"Ah, good morning, Robin," Sanji smiled. "Your coffee will be just about ready."

"Thank you very much, Sanji," Robin replied as she sat at the table.

"Of course," Sanji nodded as he got a cup and saucer ready. As he did, though, he noticed someone else enter the room: a certain young D. Carrier who was still in her pajamas. "Well, well, look who it is."

Aika yawned as she rubbed her eyes, sleepily, as she held her plush wolf, Timber, by his tail and dragged him on the floor behind her.

"Good morning, Aika," Robin greeted as the girl walked in. "And how are you, this morning?"

Aika just murmured sleepily as she stumbled up to the archaeologist, who got out of her chair, squat down to her height, and caught in her arms as the girl fell into her arms and yawned.

"Mm..." Aika hummed as she looked up at Robin, blinking her sleepy eyes until she smiled up at her. "Good morning, Mommy."

Robin's eyes went wide while Sanji gasped silently, while Aika just gave a yawn as she rested her head in the former's bosom.

"Umm...Aika?" Sanji asked. "Maybe-"

"I'll take her back to bed," Robin spoke up as she gathered the young D. Carrier in her arms, then walked out of the kitchen while Aika muttered, sleepily. Then, the archaeologist brought Aika to her bedroom, where she found Kumi still sleeping on her bed. Then, Robin laid the little wolf-girl on her bed and tucked her under the covers.

"I think you need a little more rest, sweetheart," Robin whispered as she kissed her on the cheek.

"Okay, Mommy..." Aika muttered before she yawned and closed her eyes. "I love you."

"...I...I love you, too," Robin replied as she walked out of the room and softly closed the door...but as she did, she suddenly started sniffling as she put her fingers over her lips. She looked up at the ceiling...as tears fell from her eyes.

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by the Goddess Hylia (Legend of Zelda reference)*****

Having finally woken up from his 3-hour slumber, Zoro yawned as he entered the kitchen for his usual morning drink, but upon entering, he noticed Robin sitting at the table, just staring at her cup of coffee with a solemn expression.

"Robin?" Zoro asked as he walked up to her and put his hand on her shoulder. "What's going on, you okay?"

"I'm fine," Robin lied.

"You are not fine," Sanji spoke up as he held a spatula. "You came in here with tear stains on your face and you've been staring at your coffee for almost 20 minutes."

"Wait, what?" Zoro asked as he glanced at Robin, who sighed before she glared at Sanji, who shrugged and grinned sheepishly. "Robin...what's going on?"

A pause...but then Robin sighed, softly.

"...Aika called me...Mommy," she said.

"So?" Zoro asked. "What's the big deal?"

"She was half-asleep," Robin said. "I guess she thought she was dreaming...but still..." She then choked up a bit. "I...I didn't realize just how much I meant to her...!" She then sniffled as she covered her eyes. "I...I just-"

"Hey, hey," Zoro said as he began to rub circles on Robin's back, comfortingly. "It's okay, Robin. She obviously didn't know. I mean, she was half out of it, right? Why would you cry about that?"

"...Because it touched me, so much," Robin answered. "I...I know I had a bit of an impact in her life...but I didn't think it was that big."

Zoro and Sanji both smiled at the archaeologist, who sighed as she wiped her eyes.

"You and Aika do kinda have the same background," Sanji pointed out. "It's no wonder why you and her connect with each other, so well. In a way...you're like a second mother to her."

Robin smiled at this and nodded her head in agreement.

"I guess you're right about that," she said.

"Anyway," Sanji said, "I gotta get to making breakfast. We're having crepes, today. The others should be awake, soon."

"Right," Robin nodded.

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by Togedemaru (Pokemon Sun & Moon reference)*****

"Breakfast time~!" Luffy cheered as he ran to the kitchen. "Food for me, food for me! Yahoo!"

"Wait for us, Luffy!" Nami called after him.

Now that the sun had fully risen, the whole Straw Hat crew had gotten their rest and were on their way to the galley to eat their fill.

"Man, that smells SUPER good!" said Franky.

"Yeah! I love crepes!" Chopper chirped.

"Smells like Sanji put those new raspberries he bought into them," Usopp smiled. "Can't wait to take that first bite!"

"I hope to have a nice cup of milk with mine!" Brook chimed in.

 _"And peanut butter crepes for me,"_ Blizzard spoke up.

"Crepes! Crepes!" Aika chanted as she darted around the older members. "Whoo-hoo!"

 **Yip-yip!** Kumi barked in agreement as she ran after Aika, but in their rush, they accidentally ran into Robin, who stumbled back a bit before she looked down at them and smiled.

"Hello, girls," Robin greeted.

"Hi, Aunt Robin," Aika smiled up at the archaeologist.

"Well, you look well-rested, don't you?" Robin asked.

"I had a really weird dream," Aika said. "I dreamt I was in my old house and my Mommy was there to greet me, like she always does."

"...I see," Robin speculated, while the rest of the Straw Hats turned to look at them.

"...Hey, Aunt Robin," Aika said, her smile falling. "Do you think that...my Mommy misses me?"

The Straw Hats all glanced at each other in concern...but then Robin's smile grew wider as she pulled Aika into a hug.

"If I had a daughter as wonderful as you," Robin began, "I'm sure that I'd miss you very much...and I'm certain your mother misses you, too."

Hearing that caused Aika to glance down at the floor, almost sadly, but then Robin pulled away from her and put her hands on the girl's shoulders.

"Aika, listen to me," Robin said. "Your mother LOVED you. Do you understand? She loved you so much that she was willing to give her life to save yours."

As she said this...she momentarily thought back to when she saw her mother, Olvia's, bloody smile as Saul carried her away from the destruction of Ohara.

"You really think so?" asked Aika.

"Of course," Robin nodded. "After all, if it weren't for her sacrifice...you never would've ended up at Punk Hazard, you never would've met Kumi, and you never would've met us."

At that, Aika smiled, as did the rest of the Straw Hats.

"Aika...you're one of the best things that ever happen to us," Robin said, but then Kumi barked and whimpered, as if in complaint. "Hmm-hmm...and of course, you too, Kumi."

"Thanks, Aunt Robin," Aika said. "You, Kumi, Big Brother, Big Sis, and everyone else are the best things that ever happened to me, too."

 _"Aika,"_ Blizzard smiled.

"Aww~!" Nami cooed.

"BWAAAAAAAHH~!" Franky sobbed. "WHAT A SWEET KID YOU ARE, AIKA!"

"Yes, indeed," Brook added. "It's enough to make my heart swell...although I have no heart. Yohohoho!"

"Group hug, everyone!" Usopp exclaimed.

"Get in there, guys!" Luffy added as everyone began to gather around Aika, Kumi, and Robin in one big embrace...well, except Zoro, of course.

"Forget it," Zoro said. "You know that's not my thing."

"Please, Zoro?" Aika asked. "Pretty please?"

A pause...but then Zoro sighed as he joined the group hug with Luffy literally wrapping his rubbery arm around the grumpy swordsman.

"Okay, now that that's out of the way," Sanji began, "let's all sit down and eat our breakfast."

"Yeah, I'm starving!" Luffy said.

"Come on, Aika," Robin said. "Why don't you come and sit with me?"

"I'd like that a lot, Aunt Robin," Aika replied as everyone gathered around the table to eat their crepes. Whether it was just one member of the Straw Hats or all of them...Aika loved her new family as much as she loved the mother who gave her life for hers.

 **THE END**

* * *

Review, please!


	22. Lunch

One Piece Prompts:  
Lunch

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, and Kumi © Me

* * *

Sanji hummed as he sauteed the shrimp on the skillet, the scent of the spices filling up the kitchen. A pot of tomato sauce, seasoned with basil and oregano (and just a slight pinch of sugar to enhance the sauce's flavor), simmered on the stove, while a box of angel hair pasta sat nearby, waiting to be poured into a pot of water. In the oven was a large chunk of sea king meat, stuffed with potatoes, seasoned lemon pepper and garlic powder, and marinated in a light butter sauce, being braised to perfection. There was also the fried chicken, coated with bread crumbs and sprinkled with light cayenne pepper and rosemary to give it some kick. For drinks, he made fruit cocktails (one non-alcoholic for the youngest member of the crew), mixed with pineapple, Nami's tangerines, and, as a secret ingredient, some crushed mint leaf.

Aika sat on the table nearby, watching the cook and ready to help, if need be. However, the cook had her around to be more than just a helper.

She was a lookout.

As Sanji prepared to put the pasta in the boiling pot of water... _he_ seized his chance. A rubbery hand snaked across the floor and stretched towards the skillet full of sizzling shrimp, but before the greedy fingers could grab them...

"Big Brother," Aika spoke up, and that it was all it took for the hand to freeze before it retracted back to its owner, who glared at the little wolf girl.

"Tattletale," Luffy grumbled as he walked, while Aika just gave an innocent smile and Sanji was doing his best to stifle his snickering.

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by Danafor (Seven Deadly Sins reference)*****

"Lunch is ready~!" Sanji called out.

"FOOD~!"

Almost immediately, Sanji had to hold Luffy back from rushing into the galley.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Sanji shouted as he grabbed the captain by the back of the hood of his 56 Gomu shirt. "Ladies are always first, you know!"

Sure enough, Nami and Robin just casually walked in and sat at the table, both giving an acknowledging glance to Aika as the former gave the young D. Carrier an affectionate kiss on the cheek, which causes her to giggle as the navigator takes her seat. Soon, Luffy is released and is sitting at the other end of the table, fork and knife in hand and drool dripping from his mouth. Usopp and Chopper come rushing in next, followed by Brook, who was strumming on his guitar, then Franky, who squeezed through the doorway, and then trotted in Blizzard with little Kumi scampering at his heels, and finally, Zoro, who just casually walks in and sits on the lounge.

The food is all spread out on the table, waiting to be eaten. Luffy gathers up as much as he can onto his plate before Sanji stops him and shouts at him to leave some for the others, who begin to eat, as well.

"Mmm~!" Nami hummed as she took a bite of her spaghetti. "Delicious as always, Sanji!"

"Well...I don't deserve all the credit," Sanji smiled as he glanced at Aika, who smiled proudly.

"Of course," Robin smiled. "We can't forget our other little chef."

"I didn't just help cook," Aika added. "I also stopped Big Brother from sneaking off with food."

"Rub it in, why don't you?" Luffy questioned while everyone laughed. However, Aika then went over and kissed the older D. Carrier on the cheek, which made him smile at her.

As everyone kept eating, Usopp randomly started up a conversation about a blue-finned Marlin he caught the other day.

"So there I was," the sniper began, "sitting on the railing, just minding my own business. The sun was out and the weather was nice and calm, but then, all of a sudden, my line went taut, and there was a HUGE shadow under the waves! I grabbed my fishing rod and began to reel it in as fast as I could! And then-"

"Oh, wait!" Luffy exclaimed. "I remember this! Usopp reeled in a huge Marlin, and then he ran screaming when it's nose almost hit his face!"

The room was filled with laughter, once again, although Robin was trying her hardest to stifle hers, and Sanji ended up doing a spit take before he nearly fell out of his chair.

"...Really, man?" Usopp asked in exasperation.

"What?" Luffy asked. "You did run screaming."

"Well, look on the bright side," Sanji said. "At least I know what I'm gonna be making tomorrow."

"Yeah, thanks, Usopp," Zoro added.

"Well, of course," Usopp grinned, his earlier embarrassment gone. "I am a master fisherman, after all. Why, I could reel in sea kings!"

"Please don't," Nami silently begged.

"So, Aika," Zoro started, "how's training going?"

"Good," Aika answered. "I managed to punch the barrel about 25 times until my knuckles started bleeding again. Usually, they bleed a lot quicker!"

"That means they're scarring up pretty good," Luffy added. "Keep that up, and you'll be able to smash barrels open in one punch, like me!"

"And don't forget your fencing lessons," Brook pointed out. "You're starting to get quite skilled with that pipe."

"Well, if you ask me," Sanji began, "Aika should just stick to using that pipe instead of using her fists."

"I have to agree on that one," Nami concurred as he held the young D. Carrier's hands. "A little girl should never get sweet hands like these all bloody."

"Big Sis," Aika muttered in slight irritation.

"Hey, in some fights, she might have to use her fists," Luffy pointed out. "And just think! At this rate, she might even unlock Armaments Haki!"

"Do you really think so, Big Brother?!" Aika asked, excitedly.

"Sure!" Luffy grinned. "You'll be mastering the basics in no time! Shishishishi!"

"Shishishishishi!" Aika giggled, and everyone, even the apprehensive Nami and Sanji smiled. Even Kumi was grinning from cheek-to-cheek.

 _"That's my Aika for you!"_ Kumi exclaimed, wagging her tail.

 _"You've got training to do, too, Kumi,"_ Blizzard pointed out. _"Remember? You're trying to improve on your bite force."_

 _"Oh, yeah,"_ Kumi remembered. _"I still don't know how chewing on rocks will help, though."_

As everyone was eating, Luffy had noticed that his plate was empty, causing him to pout as his stomach growled, demanding more food. He then glanced over at Usopp, who was preparing to take a bite out of his sea king meat. Luffy smirked before he stretched his arm and tapped Usopp's left shoulder, causing him to look over it, only to find nothing there.

"Huh?" Usopp muttered. "What just-" He then gasped in horror and realization before he glanced down at his empty plate, ad it didn't long for him to realize who the culprit was, for he soon grabbed the perpetrator by the neck, just as he was beginning to swallow the sea king meat. "BASTARD! GIMME BACK MY FOOD!"

"But it's already in my mouth!" Luffy cried.

"Usopp, that's enough!" Sanji shouted. "Just cut out some more of the roasted sea king! And Luffy, stop stealing food!"

"But I'm still hungry," Luffy complained.

"No buts!" Sanji barked. "Eat your own food!"

Luffy only pouted more at this, his stomach still grumbling in complaint. However, as he looked to his empty plate...he suddenly found it holding a small heap of shrimp spaghetti, a slice of sea king meat, and a fried chicken breast. Luffy looked over to see Nami, who had a finger up to her lips, a signal to tell him be quiet. Luffy blinked at the navigator before he grinned and nodded his head, then proceeded to eat the food. As for Zoro, he was about to reach for the last chicken wing, only for someone else to reach it first. He turned and glared, only to see that it was Chopper, who looked up at him and whimpered pitifully, causing the swordsman to sweat-drop before he sighed and relinquished the piece of poultry, which the doctor happily ate to his heart's content.

"Tough break, eh, Zoro?" asked Franky.

"Yohohoho!" Brook laughed, only for the swordsman to glare at them both, and that quickly silenced them. "Err...sorry."

"Ah, stop whining, Moss-head," Sanji said as he put down a bottle of rum. "Just drink this and shut up."

"Hmph," Zoro scoffed as he took the bottle, popped up the cork, and took a nip.

"Here, Zoro," Robin said as she handed the swordsman the rest of her braised sea king. "I've had enough, anyway."

"You sure?" asked Zoro, to which Robin nodded in reply. "Well...okay, but only because you say so."

Robin chuckled while the swordsman continued to eat, as did everyone else, the crew carrying on different conversations, Brook making his usual loud belches (with Sanji shouting at him), and Luffy still trying to snatch food from the others. All in all, it was just as lively as every other meal with the Straw Hats.

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by King Arthur (Seven Deadly Sins reference)*****

The table was littered with empty plates, save for a few small crumbs, sauce stains, and chicken bones.

"Aaaaahh..." Luffy sighed as he patted his bulging stomach. "That was great, Sanji."

"Yeah, thanks a lot!" Usopp added.

"I've even better," Zoro muttered, causing the cook to shoot him a glare.

"You do realize that Aika helped with this, right?!" the cook asked.

"I wasn't referring to her, ass-hat," Zoro muttered, causing Sanji to sneer at him.

"You know what?" he asked. "That's as good as it's gonna get, I guess."

"Come on, Chopper," Usopp said. "Let's go fishing, huh?"

"Yeah, sounds great!" Chopper replied.

"I don't know about you guys," Luffy started as he waddled out, "but I think I'm gonna take a nap."

"What else is new?" Nami asked.

"Thank you for the food, Sanji," Robin answered. "As always, it was quite delicious."

"Oh, yes!" Brook agreed. "My taste buds were practically dancing at the flavors! Although I have no taste buds. Yohohoho!"

"Thanks a lot, bro!" Franky added.

"Yeah, sure," Sanji said. "Now get outta here."

As everyone left, Aika remained behind to help Sanji gather up the plates.

"Thank you, sweetie," Sanji smiled.

"Do you need help washing dishes?" Aika asked.

"Nah, I got it," Sanji replied. "Why don't you go out and play?"

"Okay," Aika smiled as she ran out. "See ya later, Sanji!"

Sanji chuckled as he put the dishes in the sink and began to wash them off. As he did, he took a look over at the table...and he could still see everyone's smiling faces, even though the chairs and the lounge was empty. After the dishes were finished, he sat at the table, put a cigarette in his mouth, lit it with his lighter, took a drag, then blew a puff of smoke.

"...Well," he started, "better start thinking about what to make for dinner."

 **THE END**

* * *

Yeah, so I feel like I could've done a bit better with this one, but I hope you guys like it anyway.

Oh, and R.I.P Adam West. You will be missed.

Review, please!


	23. Shaved Ice

One Piece Prompts:  
Shaved Ice

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, and Kumi © Me

* * *

(A/N: This is part of another series of prompts with the theme being "Summer". This prompt is based off the color spread for chapter 835.)

* * *

The sun was beating down without mercy. The temperature had to be at least between 80-95 degrees. Any hotter, and the sea probably would've been boiling by now.

On the _Thousand Sunny_ , the Straw Hats were doing everything they could to keep themselves cool. For the furrier members of the crew, Chopper, Blizzard, and Kumi, they were trying to huddle up in the shade to cool off, but it didn't seem to help matters. Even in the shade, it seemed too hot.

Up in the Crow's Nest, Zoro panted as he lifted his dumbbells, trying to take his mind off the heat by training. Beads of sweat dripped off his skin and gave his body a bit of a shine in the sunlight. As for Robin, she was sitting nearby, reading her book while using a paper fan to try and keep cool, but even that didn't seem to help.

In the kitchen, Sanji was trying his damnedest to keep out of the sun by trying to think of a recipe for a cooling dessert.

"Maybe some ice cream...?" he muttered. "Nah...I feel like that's been done already..." He then wiped his forehead. "Damn this heat."

Down in the Usopp Factory, Franky and Usopp were also trying to keep cool by inventing a large electric fan, but it was just too hot to keep working.

"Crap..." Usopp cursed, panting heavily with his tongue lulling out of his mouth. "How the hell did it get so hot so quick?!"

Brook sighed weakly as he stood at the helm, trying to steer the ship, but the heat was unbearable even for him.

"Ugh...these old bones of mine will surely be bleached by now," he said.

At the stern, Nami tried to keep cool by sitting in her deck chair with a parasol over her face, but despite that, she could still feel the heat.

"Ugh..." she groaned. "It just had to be sunny all day, today."

"Big Sis Nami..."

Nami looked to her left and saw Aika, who was wearing a desert cap, a hot pink shirt, and her bathing suit underneath it.

"I'm really hot," Aika muttered.

"Oh, sweetie," Nami said as she picked Aika up and held her to her chest. "I know. I'm hot, too. It must be 95 degrees out here!"

"I tried to play with Big Brother," Aika answered, "but he's too hot, too."

"Where is your brother, by the way?" Nami queried.

"His favorite seat," Aika answered.

Sure enough, there was Luffy on the figurehead, lying on his back, his tongue dangling out of his mouth. Not only was he hot, but he was hungry, too, evident by all the noise his stomach was making.

"Ugh...!" he moaned. "Sooooo hooooooot...and hungryyyyy...!"

As the captain complained, it took everything in his current state to force himself to sit up...but when he did, he gasped as he saw something up ahead: an island with a lighthouse in the distance.

"Oh, cool!" Luffy exclaimed. "Hey, guys! An island, up ahead!"

Everyone glanced up upon hearing their captain call out to them, and soon, fighting off the sluggishness that the heat brought on, they gathered at the helm and saw the island, lying in wait before them.

"Doesn't look too big," Nami noted. "It looks more like a sandbar, if anything."

"Well, we could use a bit of a rest stop," Usopp replied.

"I agree," Brook added. "I feel like my bones will disintegrate into dust if I stay out in this heat for so long."

"Who knows?" Sanji asked. "We might be able to get a break from this heat."

"Your call, Captain," Zoro said. "Shall we?"

"Shishishishishi!" Luffy laughed. "Hell yeah! Let's go!"

"Aye-aye!" the Straw Hats exclaimed.  
 **  
***Short timeskip brought to you by Legosi (Beastars reference)*****

(A/N: I don't watch it, but I've heard enough about it.)

The Straw Hats soon made landfall on the cluster of islands, looking around for any signs of life.

"Well, at least there's a light breeze," Nami said, her hair gently flowing in the wind.

"Haa...!" Luffy sighed in relief, as did Usopp and Chopper.

"That feels so good...!" Chopper muttered.

"Hello~!" Sanji called. "Anybody out here?"

No response.

"Guess no one's home," Robin answered.

"Huh," Franky muttered.

"Hey, guys~!"

Everyone looked up to see Aika waving to them from a distance with Kumi at her side.

 _"Aika, Kumi, when did you two get over there?!"_ Blizzard questioned before he paused for a moment. _"On second thought...never mind."_

"Come here!" Aika called. "Come and look what we found!"

The grownup members glanced at each other before they decided to follow after the youngest two, who both turned and dashed off. As they walked across the islets until they came across a small beach...where a group of penguins sat around a polar wearing a golden crown, and nearby were boxes of fruit, some jars filled with multiple colors of what looked like some sort of syrup, and dripping blocks of ice. For some reason, they all had dismal looks on their faces.

"Penguins and a polar bear?" Nami asked.

"What are they doing way out here?" Chopper queried.

"Maybe we shouldn't get too close," Usopp added.

"Tell that to Luffy," Zoro spoke up, causing everyone to see that Luffy had approached the group of animals.

"Of course," Nami bemoaned in exasperation.

"Hey, guys!" Luffy greeted the animals, who all yelped in surprise as they noticed him. "Oh! Sorry! Didn't mean to startle you. So...what's going on?"

 _"Well, since you asked, dude,"_ said the polar bear, _"my little penguin compadres and I were, like, totally hot out here, so we decided to chill out with some shaved ice...but we got a major problem, dude."_

 _"We forgot to bring our shaved ice maker!"_ one of the penguins, who wore a baseball hat and had a scar on the right side of his face.

 _"Now the ice is starting to melt,"_ added a rather fat penguin in a bowler hat.

 _"We brought all this fruit and the syrup with us,"_ spoke a third penguin wearing a bandanna with red and black stripes under a black hat, _"but it looks like we won't be using any of this stuff."_

"Mmmm..." Luffy hummed, licking his lips. "Shaved ice sounds great...especially on a hot day...hey, I got an idea! Our cook, Sanji, has a shaved ice maker! You could borrow that, and maybe my crew and I can have some shaved ice, too!"  
 _  
"Dude, that sounds TOTALLY righteous,"_ the polar bear grinned. _"If you could do that, we'd totally set you up with some shaved ice, brah."_

"Sweet!" Luffy exclaimed before he turned to Sanji. "Hey, Sanji! Can you go to the ship and get shaved ice maker?! We're gonna make shaved ice!"

"Shaved ice, huh?" Sanji asked. "Sounds like a plan to me."

"Yummy!" Aika exclaimed. "I love shaved ice!"

 _"Yeah, me too!"_ Kumi said as she licked her lips.

"Count me in!" Usopp added.

"Me, too!" Chopper piped up.

"Yohohohoho!" Brook laughed. "Perfect for a hot day like this!"

"I can help, too, if you don't mind!" Franky added.

"How fun," Robin said with her usual amused smile.

"I guess I can help cut up the fruit," Zoro spoke up.

"Ooh! I can help with presentation!" Usopp chimed in.

"Hey, Franky," Sanji said. "Help me carry the shaved ice maker, will you? It's really heavy."

"Sure thing!" Franky replied.

And so, once Sanji and Franky got the shaved ice maker, as well as some bowls to put the shaved ice in, preparations were soon underway. Zoro sliced up the fruits into pieces while Sanji, Usopp, and the penguins used it for making the desserts turn into more presentable piles of snow. The polar bear would turn the hand at the top, drilling into the block ice, provided by Franky, where flakes of slush would sprinkle down into a glass bowl, or parfait for some who preferred smaller portions, at the bottom, leaving Sanji to pour on the flavored syrups, then Usopp and the penguins would decorate them with slices of fruit, like pears, apples, grapes, mangoes, peaches, bananas, and melon. Plus, some whipped cream, pocky sticks, and for some presentation, little umbrellas, were added.

"Ohhh, man...!" Luffy said as he watched the shaved ice being prepared. "This is sure making me hungry!"

Not long after this statement, his stomach started to rumble in agreement.

"Me, too," Aika said as she sat beside him.

"Don't worry, you two," Nami said. "The shaved ice will be ready, soon."

 _"I can't wait,"_ Kumi said as she sat on Blizzard's head. _"I'm so hot!"_

 _"Me, too..."_ Chopper agreed, his tongue lulling out of his mouth.

 _"Makes me wish I was born without fur,"_ Blizzard added.

"Aww, but Blizzard," Aika began, "you wouldn't look very good without your pretty white fur!"

 _"I guess that's true,"_ Blizzard grinned.

As the shaved ice was being made, Luffy noticed three more penguins swim up to them, one wearing a light green buccaneer's hat, one wearing an alpaca cap, a third wearing a top hat, and a fourth wearing a beanie.

"Whoa, check it out!" Luffy exclaimed. "More penguins!"

 _"Hey, what's goin' on?"_ asked the penguin in the buccaneer hat.

"Hi," Aika greeted. "We're having shaved ice."

 _"Ooh, shaved ice!"_ exclaimed the beanie-wearing penguin. _"We'd like some, too, if you wouldn't mind!"_

 _"We've got plenty to spare,"_ said Blizzard. _"Why don't you join us?"_

 _"Wow, thanks!"_ said the penguin in the alpaca cap. "We'd love to!"

"Okay!" Sanji called. "Shaved ice is ready!"

"Yahoo!" Luffy cheered.

"Hooray, shaved ice!" Aika cheered, also.

"About time," Zoro said. "This had better be good, Dartboard."

Sanji only sneered at the swordsman as he began to hand out the desserts. Nami, Robin, Aika, and Kumi got theirs first, then Luffy, followed by Zoro, Brook, then Chopper, Franky, Blizzard, the penguins, the polar bear, and finally, Sanji, himself. Usopp was still working on his shave ice, which was rather large, and the top had the shape of the polar bear, complete with a crown made out of a mango.

"Almost finished," the sniper muttered...unaware that the fat penguin was already stuffing himself on his "masterpiece". While Usopp was busy, everybody else dug in.

"Yummy!" Aika exclaimed as she ate a spoonful.

"It's so nice and cold!" Chopper added. "And sweet, too!"

 _"Mmm...no kidding!"_ Blizzard said as he ate his shaved ice, which he shared with Kumi.

 _"Mmm...I just love melon!"_ the Akita pup spoke.

Luffy was scarfing his shaved ice by the spoonfuls, scooping up as much as he could and shoveling it into his mouth, occasionally letting out a burp before he continued eating.

"This is delicious!" Nami declared as she ate her dessert, as well. "I just can't stop eating it!"

"You're telling me!" Luffy concurred as he looked over at Nami, who had a bit of peach on her cheek. "Oh, hold still, Nami." He then gave the navigator a light peck on the cheek, causing her to blush as she felt his tongue lightly lick the skin where the peach was before he pulled away, which then prompted her to smirk at him.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" she asked.

"May~be," Luffy replied, coyly, causing Nami to giggle.

"AGH!" Sanji cried as he put his fingers to his head. "Dammit, I got brain freeze!"

"Hmph!" Zoro cursed. "Can't handle your shaved ice, huh, cook?" As he took a bite, too, only to cry out in pain as he put his fingers to his temples, too. "Dammit!"

"Yohohoho!" Brook chortled. "It's a good thing I don't have a brain." He then took a bite of his shaved ice, only to yelp as he put his hand to his skull. "Skull freeze."

"How is that possible?!" Franky questioned.

"Mmmph..." Robin groaned as she put a hand to her own temple.

"You, too, Robin?" Chopper asked in surprise.

"I'm afraid so," Robin replied.

"Hey!" Usopp shouted at the fat penguin, who had devoured all his shaved ice and was now lying in the glass bowl. "You jerk, you ate my masterpiece!"

 **HIC!** The penguin hiccuped, his flippers rubbing his rounded tummy.

"Man..." Usopp grumbled. "This bites. I go through all this trouble to make my own shaved ice, and I don't even get to eat it."

"Usopp."

Usopp looked down to see Aika, who held up a bowl of shaved ice with peaches, grapes, melon slices, and covered in strawberry, raspberry, and lemon syrup. The sniper blinked at the young pirate-in-training before he smiled and took the bowl.

"Thanks, Aika," he said. "You're the best."

"Shishishi!" Aika giggled.

 _"Dude,"_ the polar said to Luffy, who looked up at him, _"thanks a lot for your help. You totally rock, man."_

"Happy to help!" Luffy replied. "Especially when shaved ice is involved!"

The Straw Hats, as well as the polar bear and the penguins, laughed at this before they continued to enjoy their shaved ice with their new friends, which made the heat just a little more bearable.

"Ha!" Luffy laughed. "Get it? Bearable!"

 _"Hehe..."_ the polar bear chucked. _"Nice, dude."_

 **THE END**

* * *

About time I finally got this up. I feel like I might've rushed this, though.

Review, please!


	24. Milk

One Piece Prompts:  
Milk

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, and Kumi © Me

* * *

Another prompt suggested by my good friend, Gakuto1991.

* * *

It was just another day in the New World, and today was a rather special occasion...one that the Straw Hats happened to be celebrating on this particular island, which is known for its rejuvenating hot springs. On said island, there was Monkey D. Luffy and his crew, all of them coming out in robes after they had just finished having a nice dip in said hot springs.

"Ahhh..." Luffy sighed. "Man, that felt good."

"I'll say," Nami replied. "They weren't kidding when they said 'rejuvenating'."

"You can say that again!" Franky added. "I feel...mmm...SUPER~!"

"I feel so full of energy!" exclaimed Carrot. "What'd you think, Jimbei?"

"Well, Fishmen don't really do well in hot water," said Jimbei. "That's why I chose to just stay on the bank, instead."

"Well, now that we've had our soak," Robin said, "I think it's time for us to unwind before we leave, no?"

"Yohohoho!" Brook chortled. "I do agree!"

"And what better way to do that," Usopp began, "then with some nice cold bottles of refreshing milk?"

"I got it!" Chopper exclaimed as he approached a cow, who gave him a box full of milk bottles, which he took before handing her a 500 Berry bill. "Thank you, ma'am!"

 **Mooo~!** The cow lowed, happily.

"Eh," Zoro shrugged. "It's not booze, but I'll take it."

"Do they have chocolate milk?" asked Aika.

"Aika, sweetheart," Robin said, "you know that if you drink chocolate milk, you can't be in your wolf form for a while, right?"

"Yes, Aunt Robin, I know," Aika replied while Kumi panted excitedly beside her.

"Thanks, Chopper," said Sanji as Chopper handed him a bottle.

"Here you go, buddy," Luffy said as he poured Blizzard a bowl of milk, which he began to lap up.

 _"Mmm...nice and sweet,"_ Blizzard said as he licked his chops.

"Yummy!" Carrot exclaimed as she got a bottle, too. "I love ice cold milk!"

 _"Me, too!"_ Kumi chirped as Aika poured her a bowl, too.

"Shishishishi!" Luffy laughed as he was about to take a sip of his bottle, only to stop when he looked out to the fourth wall. "Oh! Hi! Sorry, didn't see you there."

"Aww, that's too bad," Nami said. "You could've come and enjoyed the hot springs."

"I bet you people out there are wondering this is all about," Franky said. "Well, it's simple really. We Straw Hats are having ourselves a little celebratory dip in the hot springs."

"What are we celebrating, you may ask?" Usopp asked. "Well, it's quite simple, really. You see, it's been 20 years since my-"

"Our," Zoro corrected.

"Right...our adventures began," Usopp said, sheepishly.

"And it all started with this knucklehead right here," said Sanji as he teasingly nudged Luffy in the arm, which caused him to laugh.

"20 years of adventure and companionship," Nami added.

"20 years of battles," Robin also added.

"And we hope you continue to stay with us for perhaps 10 more years!" Brook exclaimed.

"Thank you for standing by us, all this time," Jimbei said, holding a bottle of milk, too.

 _"We hope you continue to support us,"_ Blizzard added.

"Through all the chapters, all the episodes, and even the movies, if more start to come out!" Aika piped up while Kumi panted happily.

"Yeah! It's gonna be so much fun!" Carrot exclaimed.

"And I hope you're there at the very end," Luffy began, "when I become King of the Pirates." He then raised his bottle. "To 20 years of One Piece!"

"To 20 years of One Piece!" the Straw Hats declared as they all clanged their bottles and began to drink.

 **THANK YOU ODA FOR 20 YEARS OF ONE PIECE. MAY YOU CONTINUE THIS EPIC MASTERPIECE.**


	25. Night

One Piece Prompts:  
Night

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, and Kumi © Me

* * *

Nighttime in the New World. The stars and the moon were out, the wind was calm, and the night air was peaceful. Everyone and everything that had been active during the day were now cozily snug in their beds, resting for the morning ahead.

A man and woman slept in their bed with their daughter in between them, smiling as she held her teddy bear, and curled up on the edge of their bed was a gray tabby cat. Up in the trees, a mother bird snoozes in her nest, her chicks all huddled up underneath, dreaming sweet dreams. A wolf and his mate sleep in their den, curled up around each other in one big ball of fur to keep warm. Even a fox and a rabbit, normally natural enemies, slept in a flowery meadow, the latter using the former's tail as a pillow.

Out at sea, a certain pirate ship was anchored in the water to allow her crew to sleep peacefully throughout the night.

Roronoa Zoro and Nico Robin lie in bed together, the latter smiling softly as she lied safely in the arms of the former, who snored as he lied in the bed.

Down in their room, Monkey D. Luffy and Nami also lied in bed...with their clothes all strewn about around the floor and the former snoring like a freight train. The latter didn't seem to care, though. She had her earplugs in, anyway.

Next to their room, little Monkey D. Aika was sleeping in her bed, hugging her plush wolf Timber, while Kumi lied in her doghouse, dreaming of chasing bunny rabbits. As for Blizzard, he was asleep under Aika's bed, dreaming of swimming in an ocean of peanut butter.

In the Men's Quarters, Sanji, Tony Tony Chopper, Franky, and Brook were all snoozing the night away.

"Pan...ties..." Brook mumbled.

"Hehehehehe..." Sanji chuckled with a drooling face and flared nostrils. "Vivi, my dear...come closer...let your prince give you a kiss...!"

"...Super..." Franky muttered in his sleep.

"Mm...cotton...candy..." Chopper murmured.

Only one Straw Hat remained wide awake: it was Usopp, up in the Crow's Nest on watch duty. The only thing he had to keep him awake was a cup of tea and some biscuits while he looked out at the stars.

"Man," the sniper said. "The stars sure are gorgeous, tonight." He then took a bite out of his biscuit. "Hmmm...even if you could see the stars back at home, they wouldn't look as pretty as they do, now." He then took a look at the horizon. "...Looks like no one's out here...heh. Guess even those Marines need their beauty after harassing us all day." He then gave a big yawn. "Ugh...and so do I."

As he began to close his eyes...a familiar image of a young woman, sitting by her window, reading a book. She looked out the window and seemed to take on a look of surprise before she smiled.

"Oh, hi, Usopp! Have you got a new story for me, today?"

"I sure do! Listen to this, Kaya! ...Kaya...Kaya..."

The name echoed in the sniper's head as he began to lean off the sofa...a little too far.

"WHOA!" he cried as he woke up and caught himself. "Oh, man...that was close!" He then sighed as he sat down on the sofa again, taking another sip of his tea. "...Kaya...I wonder how she's been doing lately...come to think of it, I've been gone so long, I feel like I almost forget what she sounds like." He then looked out to the stars and sighed.

"...Come to think of it," he muttered. "I wonder how everyone else has been doing since I was gone...Kaya...Merry...the Little Veggies...I wonder if they even think about me." He then heaved another sigh...as tears formed in his eyes. "I hate to admit it...but I honestly miss them..."

"You miss who, Usopp?"

"DAH!" Usopp yelped as he wiped his eyes, then turned to see Chopper, who blinked at him sleepily. "Ch-Chopper?! What are you doing up?!"

"I got thirsty," Chopper answered.

"Oh," Usopp said as he took out a bottle of water from the mini fridge. "Here you go."

"Thank you," Chopper said as he opened it and took a sip. "...Hey, Usopp? How come you were crying?"

"W-what?!" Usopp stammered. "No way! What makes you think I was crying?!"

"I could smell saline," Chopper answered. "Is something wrong, Usopp?"

"...I guess there's no point in hiding it," Usopp answered. "Chopper...have you ever felt...homesick?"

"Homesick?" Chopper repeated, tilting his head.

"You know," Usopp started, "missing your home and the people who live in it."

"Oh," Chopper said. "...Well...I have, sometimes...but honestly, I don't miss my home too much."

"You don't?" Usopp asked in surprise.

"Not really," Chopper replied. "I was a little sad when I left...and...I could tell that Doctorine would miss me."

"Then why'd you leave?" Usopp asked.

"Because first off," Chopper began, "Luffy needed a doctor on his crew."

"I guess that makes sense," Usopp muttered.

"And second," Chopper continued, "if I didn't go with you guys, I'd regret it forever."

The sniper's eyes went wide as the little reindeer came to sit next to him.

"It's my dream to become the world's greatest doctor," he went on, "and create a cure for all the world's diseases. I just know in my heart of hearts that I made the right call."

"...I see," Usopp smiled.

"...Why?" Chopper asked.

"Why, what?"

"Why did you ask me if I was homesick, Usopp?"

A pause...but then Usopp scratched his head.

"Well..." he started, "I guess...I've been missing Kaya a little."

"Kaya?" Chopper repeated. "Oh! You mean that sick girl you used to visit a lot, right? And you saved her from that butler that tried to kill her, and she also gave you the _Going Merry_ , right?"

"That's right," Usopp answered. "I guess...I just started thinking about her, outta nowhere. And not just her, but Carrot, Pepper, and Onion, too...I...I started thinking back to when times were simpler for me. When I didn't have any worried in the world."

"Are you saying you regret joining Luffy?" queried Chopper.

"N-no!" Usopp stammered. "Of course not! I mean...there are still times I wonder why I'm out here. I mean...I know how difficult a pirate's life can be now...especially what happened between..."

"You and Luffy," Chopper concluded.

"That's still the one regret I've ever had," said Usopp, "but it's also through that that I learned that being a pirate is no game." He then smiled. "Sure, it's got its hurdles...but I know I can't just pack up and leave when I've come so far."

Chopper smiled at the sniper, who looked down at him.

"Besides...Luffy needs me," Usopp continued, "just like he needs the rest of us. Without me...how can he become the Pirate King?"

"That's true," Chopper said.

"...Thanks, Chopper," Usopp said.

"For what?" Chopper asked.

"For reminding me why I'm out here," said Usopp. "Besides...how am I gonna be a brave warrior of the sea if I turn back, now?"

Chopper smiled, a feeling of pride welling up in his chest.

"And when I go home when all this is over," Usopp started, "I'll tell Kaya and Merry and the Little Veggies about all our adventures. Who knows? We might decide to take them with us. I heard rumors that Kaya actually wanted to be a doctor when she grows up."

"Really?" Chopper asked. "Wow!"

"Maybe you can give her some pointers?" Usopp asked.

"I'd love to!" Chopper replied...before he yawned. "Boy...I sure am tired."

Usopp chuckled before he took the littler reindeer into his arms...and soon, he began to cast off into slumber, as well...but not before he took one more look at the starry sky.  
 _  
'...I wonder what you're up to,'_ he thought...before he finally fell asleep, his mind and his heart at ease.

 *****Timeskip brought to you by Velvet Crowe (Tales of Berseria reference)*****

Meanwhile, on a certain island in the East Blue...a young woman was busy, walking down the dirt road, humming a small tune as she did.

"Miss Kaya!"

Kaya stopped before she turned to see her faithful butler, Merry, who handed her a lunchbox.

"Don't forget this!" he told her. "You need your nutrients, you know!"

"Oh, Merry," Kaya smiled as she took the lunchbox. "Thank you."

"I must say," Merry began, "you seem rather distracted, as of late, Miss Kaya."

"Well..." Kaya started, only for her butler to interject.

"Don't tell me," he said, though he had a knowing smile. "It's Usopp, again, isn't it?"

"...You could say that," Kaya answered as she looked down at the papers she was holding in her arms...one of them having a small sketch of Usopp's grinning face, and Merry could only chuckle.

"Well, don't let me keep you," he said. "Best be off, now! Have a good day!"

"I will," said Kaya as she continued to walk. As she did, she saw three certain boys cross her path.

"PIRATES! PIRATES ARE COMING!" cried Onion.

"EVERYONE, HIDE!" shouted Pepper. "PIRATES!"

"PIRATES ARE COMING TO THE VILLAGE!" yelled Carrot.

"Hi, boys!" Kaya greeted, casually.

"Hi, Kaya!" answered Onion, just as an angry mob of villagers came chasing after them.

"YOU THREE BRATS!" shouted a woman with a broom.

"IT'S BAD ENOUGH THAT USOPP DOES THIS!" shouted an old man with a pitchfork.

"GET BACK HERE!" yelled a younger man with a baseball bat.

Kaya could only chuckle as she watched Usopp's three loyal supporters running away, keeping up the daily routine of shouting "pirates", just like their old leader did. Then she sighed as a wistful smile appeared on her face, turning her head up to look at the clouds...which formed the face of a familiar liar who would always come to her house to cheer her up.  
 _  
'...I wonder how you're doing,'_ she thought.

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by Laphicet (Tales of Berseria reference)*****

"ACHOO!"

"You okay, Usopp? You're not getting a cold are you?"

"Nah, Luffy...I guess someone's talking about me..."

* * *

 **THE END**

* * *

Review, please!


	26. Masks

One Piece Prompts:

Masks

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, and Lucky © Me

* * *

Summary- The Straw Hats go to a costume store to pick out masks for Halloween.

* * *

The town of Pumpkin Hollow was rather lively, this time around, and with good reason. Halloween was approaching quite fast, meaning that people were hurrying to prepare for the holiday. Jack-o-lanterns were carved and set up with their numerous faces, some scary, some humorous, and people were preparing to give out Halloween treats, some bought at the store, or others homemade. Meanwhile, the stores were getting ready to sell costumes so that people could go out trick-or-treating, and who else should happen to be here but the Straw Hat Pirates?

They happened to be here looking for costumes to wear for Halloween, and were trying all sorts of masks.

"Hey, Zoro," Usopp said as he came out with a Tengu mask. "What do you think of this?"

"Weren't you a Tengu for Halloween, before?" asked Zoro, who was dressed up as Negan from the Walking Dead.

"That's true," Usopp said as he took the mask off. "Man, what a night that was, right? I mean, first Luffy and Blizzard turned into vampires, and then you turned into a vampire, and-"

"Yeah, yeah, we know," Zoro interjected. "PLEASE don't remind us."

"Right, sorry," Usopp apologized.

"Hey, Usopp."

"Yes?" Usopp asked as he turned, only to see someone wearing a fierce-looking werewolf mask. "GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!" He then jumped into Zoro's arms, causing him to cry out in surprised.

"Wait, Usopp!" Aika cried as she pulled the mask off. "It's only me, see?"

"Oh!" Usopp exclaimed. "Uh...I knew that."

"Get off me!" Zoro shouted as he threw the sniper to the floor.

"Did I scare you, Usopp?" Aika asked.

"Well...just a tad," Usopp replied, "but hey! That's all a part of Halloween, right?"

"Yeah!" Aika answered. "And the candy!"

"Uggggh...!" Luffy groaned as he sat on a nearby chair, holding his stomach. "PLEASE don't say candy!"

"Sorry, Big Brother," Aika apologized.

"I sure do love Halloween, though," Chopper said, dressed up as a certain green Jedi master. "Hey, Blizzard, check me out!" He then hunched over and hobbled, like he was walking on a cane. "Strong with the force, young Skywalker is."

Blizzard, his fur spray-painted with a sandy color and given a fake mane with pointy rocks around his neck, chuckled at the sight and the impression the little reindeer gave.

 _"Not bad, Chopper,"_ he said. _"You make a good Yoda."_

"Shut up~!" Chopper squealed, clapping his hooves. "Like saying that makes me happy!"

 _"Hey, Blizzard, what do you think about my costume?"_ Kumi asked as she approached. Her body had been spray-painted, as well, but it looked like more a light clay color and a rocky ruff around her neck.

 _"Cute,"_ Blizzard replied. _"You look like a real Rockruff."_

"Yay!" Kumi cheered, wagging her tail happily.

"Yohohoho!" Brook chortled. "Look at me!"

Everyone turned to see their skeletal musician...with a regular human face.

"Well?" Brook asked as he pulled the mask away. "What do you think?"

"...Well...that's...something," said Zoro.

"Check me out," Sanji spoke up as he approached, dressed up like Marth from Fire Emblem. "Pretty regal, don't you think?"

"Wow, Sanji!" Aika exclaimed. "You look like a knight!"

"Well, thank you, Aika," Sanji said as he bowed his head, graciously.

"Psh!" Zoro scoffed. "Knight of the Kingdom of Retardia, maybe..."

"What was that, Moss-head?!" Sanji questioned.

"You heard me!" Zoro barked.

"Oh, Zoro."

Zoro turned around, only to scream upon seeing the mask of a sinister-looking clown with sharp teeth, and Aika, Chopper, and Kumi shrieked not long after.

"IT'S PENNYWISE THE DANCING CLOWN!" Chopper screamed. "ALSO KNOWN AS 'IT'!"

"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES OR IT'LL EAT YOUR SOULS!" Aika cried.

"Wait, wait, calm down," a familiar spoke as the mask was pulled off, revealing it to be Robin. "It's just me."

"Oh, phew!" Aika sighed.

"Thank goodness, it's only Robin," Chopper said.

 _"She had me going for a second,"_ Kumi laughed.

"...Dude," Usopp said as he looked at Zoro, who was hiding behind a shelf. "You're afraid of clowns?"

"I am NOT afraid of clowns!" Zoro denied. "Just...ones with sharp teeth."

Robin chuckled.

"Sorry about that, Tiger," she said. "I didn't scare you too bad, did I?"

"Oh, please," Zoro muttered. "I don't know the meaning of fear."

"Suuuuure you don't," added Franky, dressed up as a certain blue bug-themed superhero.

"Shut up or I'll squash you, Tick," Zoro sneered.

Luffy only laughed.

"Man, that's some funny stuff!" he said.

"Yeah, you're telling me," a voice replied, causing Luffy to look up and see that it was his older brother, Sabo, only he was dressed up as Vega from Street Fighter.

"Eh?!" Luffy questioned. "Sabo, what are you doing here?!"

"Oh, not much," Sabo replied. "Just maybe doing some undercover work...and perhaps enjoy the holiday."

"Big Brother Sabo!" Aika cheered as she ran up to Sabo, who immediately scooped her up into her arms.

"Hey, Aika!" Sabo exclaimed as he hugged her. "It's good to see you, too, kiddo! So what are you gonna be for Halloween?"

"I dunno, yet," Aika replied. "I'm still looking."

"I see," Sabo replied. "Well, I'm sure you'll find it."

"Hey, Sabo."

Sabo turned to see Koala, holding up...a koala bear mask.

"What do you think of this-" Koala started, only to gasp upon seeing Aika. "Aika, sweetie!"

"Big Sis Koala!" Aika cheered as she jumped into her arms next while Sabo chuckled.

"Oh, it's so good to see you!" Koala said. "Are you gonna trick-or-treating for Halloween?"

"Yeah, but Big Brother isn't going with me," Aika said.

"Lemme guess," Sabo said. "His stomach finally couldn't handle all those sweets he was pouring down into it? Heheheheheh!"

"Come on, man, not cool," Luffy pouted as he held his stomach.

"Ah, come on, Lu," Sabo said as he put his hand on his shoulder. "I'm just teasin' ya."

Nearby, Lucky came out with a fake dolphin tail attached to his regular tail.

 _"Hey, Lucky, how you doin'?"_ Blizzard asked.

 _"Eh, can't complain,"_ Lucky shrugged. _"Hey, I saw a rabbit girl around here, and she kinda looked like Luffy."_

 _"Oh, yeah, that's our new lookout, Carrot,"_ Blizzard replied.

"Whee~!" Carrot cheered as she hopped about, wearing a red vest and a pair of blue shorts, as well as a straw hat. "Look at me, I'm Luffy!"

"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed. "That's really funny, Carrot! You look just like me!"

"Do I, really?!" asked Carrot, excitedly. "Yay!"

"Hey, Luffy, check out Jimbei's costume!" Usopp exclaimed as he pointed to the Whale Shark Fishman, who had half his robe off, golden bracelets around his wrists, and wearing a pair of blue puffy pants with a red sash.

(A/N: Miss you, Robin Williams.)

"What do you think?" Jimbei asked. "I'm Genie."

"Wow!" Luffy exclaimed. "I can totally see it! Not bad, Jimbei!"

Jimbei chuckled as Hack came and stood at his side, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm surprised you're actually dressing up for this," said Hack. "It's not really your thing."

"Well...even I need to have a break, once in a while, I suppose," said the Straw Hat helmsman.

"Hey, Luffy, what do you think of this?"

Luffy looked up, only for his eyes to go wide as he saw Nami, dressed up as a red-haired Scottish princess.

"What do you think?" Nami asked. "Do I look like Merida?"

Luffy only whistled in amazement while Aika gaped in awe.

"Wow...!" she whispered. "Big Sis, you look so cool!"

"Aww, thanks, sweetheart!" Nami said as she pet Aika. "Are you still trying to find your costume?"

"Yeah," Aika replied. "I'm thinking I'll find it sooner or later."

"I think I can help with that," Robin said, now wearing a magician's outfit.

"Ooh, nice magician outfit, Robin!" Nami exclaimed.

"I'm not just any magician," Robin replied. "I'm Zatanna Zatara."

"Ooh, from DC!" Luffy exclaimed. "Nice~!"

"I'll say," Zoro smirked before he whispered in the archaeologist's ear. "Maybe you and I could make some magic happen on Halloween night."

"Easy, now," Robin smiled.

"You found a costume for me, Aunt Robin?" Aika asked.

"Mm-hmm," Robin nodded as she left momentarily, and then came back with an orange, metallic suit with some sort of cannon for a right arm and a helmet with a green visor. "What do you think?"

"No way!" Aika exclaimed. "Samus Aran's Power Suit?!"

"SO COOL~!" Luffy, Chopper, Usopp, Franky, and Carrot exclaimed with starry eyes.

 _"Put it on, Aika, put it on!"_ Kumi said, bouncing up and down in excitement, and Aika soon put the costume on.

"What do you think?" Aika asked.

"Very nice!" Nami replied. "You look just like Samus!"

"Shishishishi!" Aika giggled. "Thank you, Big Sis Nami, and you, too, Aunt Robin!"

Robin chuckled at this.

"I think we're all finished up here, don't you?" Franky asked.

"We got our costumes," said Sanji. "I'd say mission accomplished."

"Luffy, you picked out your costume, right?" Nami asked.

"Sure did!" Luffy answered as he held up a Batman costume. "I'm Bat-Luffy!"

Nami giggled at this.

"What about you, Usopp?" the navigator asked.

"Eeheeheeheehee!" Usopp laughed with green makeup on his face and wearing a witch's costume. "I'll get you yet, my pretty, and your little dog, too!"

Aika gasped as she held Kumi in her arms.

"Man, am I that convincing?" Usopp asked before he chuckled.

"You sure scared me!" Aika replied.

"Come on, let's buy our costumes and get outta here," Luffy said. "Besides, I'm getting hungry."

"Same," Sabo replied. "I could go for some ramen right about now."

"I can't wait for Halloween!" Chopper piped up. "Oh, I mean...Halloween, I cannot wait for."

 _"Nice,"_ Blizzard smirked.

"This Halloween is gonna be...SUPER~!" Franky exclaimed.

And so, with their costumes purchased (after Nami demanded the price be lowered), the Straw Hats, plus their Revolutionary friends, left the costume store.

"By the way, Hack," Koala said. "I just realized...what are you gonna be for Halloween?"

"...A Gremlin," said Hack, putting on a pair of monstrous, bat-like ears.

* * *

 **THE END**

* * *

Thanks again to Gakuto1991 for suggesting costume ideas!

Review, please!


	27. Spooked

One Piece Prompts:

Spooked

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One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, and Kumi © Me

* * *

Summary- After Usopp tells Aika, Kumi, Chopper, and Carrot a scary story, Kumi is too scared to sleep without thinking something might be after her.

* * *

Once again, thank you, Gakuto1991!

* * *

After a nice day of shopping for costumes and candy on Pumpkin Hollow, the Straw Hats were retiring for the night. However, one group of members were not ready to sleep, quite yet. In fact, they were in the middle of being told a story by their very own sniper.

Chopper, Aika, Kumi, and Carrot were all sitting in a circle in their pajamas while Usopp sat before them, an almost wicked grin appearing on his face.

"Good evening," he said in a rather spooky tone, holding a flashlight to his face. "Tonight, I am about to tell you a VERY spooky story...in fact, it's one of the creepiest stories ever told! It's called...The Licked Hand."

"The Licked Hand?" Aika repeated.

"Sounds gross," Carrot said as she stuck out her tongue.

"Here's how the story goes," Usopp said. "There was a little girl named Lisa who often spent nights alone in her house, because her parents worked late at night. So one day, they got her a dog as a means to keep her company whenever they weren't home."

"Aww, a puppy!" Aika exclaimed as she hugged Kumi. "Just like you, Kumi!"

Kumi smiled and wagged her tail.

"One night," Usopp continued, "Lisa awoke to a strange dripping sound coming from somewhere in the house, so she got up and went to the kitchen, just to make sure that the tap was off, properly. When she went back to bed, she stuck her hand below the mattress, just to make sure her dog was there, and she felt her fingers get licked, which reassured her."

"That doesn't sound very scary to me," Chopper said.

"Yeah, that sounds ticklish!" Aika chirped. "I like it when Kumi licks my fingers!"

"May I please continue?" Usopp asked in slight irritation before he cleared his throat. "Now where was I? Oh, yes. Before Lisa could return to slumber, she heard that same dripping sound again, so she went to the bathroom to check and see if the tap was off, in there before she returned to her bed. Again, she reached down her hand, and she felt the licking once again, which put her at ease, once more...but again, she heard that same sound! Drip...drip...drip...!"

By now, it looked like the 4 were getting a bit nervous as they huddled together.

"Lisa grew even more nervous as she kept hearing that same noise," said Usopp. "So she got up, went outside to make sure the tap was off, went back to bed, and got the same reassuring lick...but still, that dripping sound continued. It was beginning to drive her insane!"

"W...where did the sound come from?" Carrot asked.

"Lisa searched all over the house," Usopp continued, "until she finally looked inside her bedroom closet...and do you know what she found?"

 _"W-w-what'd she find, Usopp?!"_ Kumi asked.

"There, hanging upside-down with its neck sliced open," Usopp began, "was her beloved dog, with blood dripping from the fatal wound! And right on the wall was a message, written with that blood...and it said... 'HUMANS CAN LICK TOO'! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA~!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Chopper, Aika, Kumi, and Carrot shrieked, and not long after, someone came in and turned the lights on.

"What is going on in here?!" Nami asked. "Do you know what time it is?!"

"Big Sis Nami!" Aika cried as she ran up and hugged Nami. "Save us!"

 _"I DON'T WANNA DIE~!"_ Kumi cried in fright while Chopper and Carrot held each other. Almost instantly, Nami glared at the culprit: Usopp.

"Usopp," the navigator said in a warning tone. "What did you do?"

"...Uh...I only told them a scary story," said Usopp.

"Don't you remember what happened the last time you told Aika a scary story?!" Nami asked. "She couldn't sleep in her own room for a week because she thought something was out to get her! She wouldn't stop coming into mine and Luffy's room, and lemme tell you, we both built up a LOT of tension!"

"Well, it's almost Halloween!" Usopp said. "I just thought it'd be fun to tell them The Licked Hand story-"

"THE LICKED HAND?!" Nami questioned. "Are you insane?! The last time you told that story, Luffy thought Blizzard was dead!"

"BLIZZARD'S DEAD?!" Aika and Chopper questioned before they began to comically cry.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO~!" Carrot wailed while Kumi howled mournfully.

 _"Oh, for the love of Whitebeard!"_ Blizzard shouted as he pulled himself out from under Aika's bed. _"Can't a wolf-dog get any sleep around here?!"_

"BLIZZARD!" Aika, Kumi, Carrot, and Chopper exclaimed as they ran up and hugged him. "YOU'RE ALIVE!"

 _"Of course I'm alive!"_ Blizzard replied. _"Why would you think that I'm...?"_ He stopped when he noticed Usopp, who grinned sheepishly, and the wolf-dog gave him a deadpan look. _"You told them The Licked Hand, didn't you?"_

"Maybe," Usopp replied.

"All right, that's it," Nami said. "Everyone in bed, NOW."

On that, Chopper and Carrot got in their sleeping bags while Kumi went into her little dog house, Aika climbed into her bed, and Blizzard lied on the floor next to the bed.

"Goodnight, you guys," Usopp said as he left the room.

"Goodnight, Usopp," Chopper called.

"Night-night!" Carrot added.

"...Hey, Big Sis?" Aika asked as Nami tucked her into bed. "Kumi's not gonna die...right?"

"Oh, Aika, don't worry," Nami assured. "It's jus a story. No one's gonna come here in the middle of the night to kill Kumi. When you wake up in the morning, she'll still be here and everything will be fine, okay?"

"Okay," Aika replied.

"Good," Nami smiled. "Now, get some sleep. Tomorrow, you, me, and Luffy are going out for breakfast with Sabo and Koala!"

"Yay!" Aika cheered happily, causing Nami to chuckle before she kissed the younger D. Carrier on her forehead.

"Goodnight, sweetie," Nami said as she walked out and turned off the lights.

"Goodnight, you guys," Aika said.

"Goodnight, Aika," Chopper, Blizzard, Kumi, and Carrot replied, and on that, everyone began to get a good night's sleep...or so they thought.

 **Creeeeeaaaaak...!**

Kumi gasped as she heard that deep creaking sound.

 _"W-what was that?!"_ she asked.

"Kumi, relax," Chopper said. "It's just the waves rocking the Sunny. It's like they're rocking us to sleep."

"Oh...yeah," Kumi replied with a sheepish chuckle. "I knew that." On that, she lied down and prepared to go to sleep again...but then...

 **Drip...drip...drip...!**

Kumi gasped upon hearing that strange dripping noise.

 _"Oh, no...!"_ she whispered as she jumped up onto Aika's bed. _"Aika! Aika, wake up!"_

"Hmm...?" Aika hummed, sleepily.

 _"Aika...did you hear that?"_ Kumi asked.

"Hear what?" asked Aika.

 _"That dripping sound!"_ Kumi whispered. _"The one from the story!"_

"Kumi, Big Sis said it's only a story," Aika said. "Maybe someone left the tap on by mistake. Now go back to sleep."

Kumi chewed her lip before she turned and went back to her dog house...but just as she was about to get ready to fall asleep, once again...

 **GRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWL~!**

 _ **"YIPE!"**_ Kumi yowled as she jumped out of her dog house and latched onto Blizzard's face.

 _"GAH!"_ Blizzard cried as he stood up and stumbled back. _"KUMI, GET OFF!"_

 _"THERE'S A MONSTER ON THE SHIP!"_ Kumi screamed. _"HE'S GONNA GET ME!"_

In his attempt to shake Kumi off, Blizzard accidentally stepped on Chopper, who cried out in pain before he inadvertently turned into his Guard Point form, thus causing Aika and Carrot to be buried in reindeer fur!

"AAAAH!" the girls shrieked.

 _"Chopper, shrink down!"_ Blizzard yelled.

"Oh! Sorry!" Chopper apologized as he shrunk back down into his Brain Point form, causing Aika and Carrot to gasp for air.

"Chopper, what did you do that for?!" Carrot asked.

"It wasn't my fault!" Chopper replied. "Blizzard stepped on me!"

 _"I didn't mean it!"_ Blizzard argued before he glared at Kumi, who was sitting on the floor. _"Kumi just latched onto my face and she wouldn't let go!"_

"Kumi, why did you wake everybody up?!" asked Aika.

 _"I-I heard a growling sound!"_ Kumi replied. _"Didn't anybody else hear it?!"_

 _"Kumi, I think Usopp's story has gotten to your head,"_ Blizzard said. _"You're letting your imagination get the better of you and you're starting to hear things that aren't even there! No one is trying to kill you!"_

 _"But...but I-"_ Kumi stammered.

 _"Kumi, for the last time,"_ Blizzard started, _"go. To. SLEEP."_

 _"...Okay,"_ Kumi replied as she went to her dog house. "...But Blizzard, I really-" She was silenced when Blizzard only glared at her, and as she looked around the room, she saw Chopper, Aika, and Carrot giving her annoyed stares, as well. The pup then sighed as she lied back down, and soon, the others went back to sleep, as well.

 _'Maybe Blizzard's right,'_ Kumi thought. _'Maybe I am just hearing things...no one's gonna come onto the ship and kill me.'_

She then yawned as she fell asleep...but after a while, **GRRROOOOOOOOOOOWWWL~!** That same deep growling sound woke Kumi from her sleep, again.

 _"I was right!"_ she whispered. _"I'm not hearing things!"_

She then climbed up on Aika's bed to wake her...only to gasp when she saw that it was empty.

 _"Oh, no..."_ Kumi whispered before she jumped down onto the floor and began to nudge Blizzard. _"Blizzard! Blizzard, wake up! Wake up, Blizzard!"_

Blizzard growled in irritation as he opened his eyes.

 _"What have you got against the concept of a good night's sleep, huh?!"_ he asked in exasperation.

"Kumi, what's going on, now?" Chopper asked, tiredly.

 _"...Aika's not in her bed...!"_ Kumi squeaked, causing Chopper, Blizzard, and Carrot to glance at each other before they went to check for themselves, and they found the bed empty, and the blankets pushed off onto the floor.

"Y-you're right," Chopper stammered. "She's not here!"

"W-w-w-where'd she go?!" asked Carrot, nervously.

 _"Let's not panic,"_ Blizzard reassured. _"She's probably in the bathroom."_

 _"But...but what if the monster got her?!"_ Kumi asked.

 _"Kumi, for the last time, there's no monster!"_ Blizzard rebuked.

 _"You don't know that!"_ Kumi shouted. _"You know what?! Fine! Since you don't wanna believe me, I'll go look for Aika, myself!"_

"No, Kumi, wait!" Chopper called as the pup ran out.

 _"Kumi, come back here!"_ Blizzard shouted before he sighed. _"I really need to get my own room."_

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by All For One (My Hero Academia reference)*****

Outside, Kumi gulped as she cautiously stepped out on to the lawn. She looked up at the Crow's Nest and spotted Jimbei, using binoculars to see far and wide. The Whale Shark Fishman noticed Kumi before he smiled and waved down at her, causing her to smile and wag her tail.

 _'I guess it's not too bad,'_ thought Kumi. _'Jimbei's up there, and if he sees something, he'll probably let me know.'_

She then began to look around for Aika.

"Aika?" she called. "Aika, can you hear me?"

Then, all of a sudden, her ears perked upon hearing another familiar sound.

 **Drip...drip...drip...!**

"Oh, no...!" Kumi whispered before she looked to the bathroom, where she saw the light on. She whimpered fearfully before she slowly approached it. _"Aika? I-is that you in there?"_

A pause...but then the light shut off and the door opened to reveal...Aika, who yawned as she exited the bathroom.

"AIKA!" Kumi cheered as she tackled her joyfully.

"OOF!" Aika cried as she fell to the floor.

"I was so worried!" Kumi said as she nuzzled Aika's face with comical tears in her eyes. "I was afraid something terrible happened to you!"

"...I only got up to use the bathroom," Aika said in confusion.

 _"Ahe-hem!"_

Kumi tensed up before she turned and saw Blizzard, Chopper, and Carrot, causing her to grin sheepishly. _"Umm...hi, Blizzard."_

 _"Kumi, are you done now?"_ Blizzard asked. _"Because I would VERY MUCH like go to back to sleep."_

 _"Yeah, me too,"_ Chopper added, rubbing his eye.

 _"Me, three,"_ Carrot yawned.

 _"...Yeah,"_ Kumi replied. _"I-I'm done."_

 _"Good,"_ Blizzard answered. "Now let's-"

 **GRROOOOOOOOOOOWWWL~!** The quintet all froze upon hearing that noise.

"I...I heard that...!" Chopper stammered.

"M-m-m-m-me, t-t-t-too...!" Carrot whimpered with chattering teeth.

"I heard that, too...!" Blizzard whispered.

"See?!" Kumi questioned. "Do you believe me now?!"

"Yeah, I believe you!" Aika answered as she hugged the Akita pup. "I'm really sorry, Kumi!"

"Yeah, I'm sorry, too!" Chopper cried as he also hugged the puppy.

"I'm sorry, three!" Carrot added as she also joined the fearful huddle.

"I-I think it came from the kitchen...!" Blizzard whispered as he looked to the kitchen, where they saw that the door was open. As they went to look inside, they gasped upon seeing a shadowy figure...with a big knife in his hand!

"It's him...!" Aika whispered. "The Dog Killer from Usopp's story!"

 _"This is it!"_ Kumi whimpered. _"I'm gonna die!"_

"What are we gonna do?!" Carrot whispered.

 _"Wait here,"_ Blizzard replied. _"I'm gonna go get the others."_

"No, Blizzard, wait!" Chopper begged as the wolf-dog left. "Don't go!"

"Huh?" the figure asked before he looked back. "Who's there?"

"Uh-oh...!" Chopper whispered in horror. "He heard us!"

"I think he's coming this way!" Carrot added.

 _"I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die...!"_ Kumi repeated, over and over, with tears of fright in her eyes, which caused Aika to blink at her before she put on a serious expression.

"I'm going in," Aika said.

"What?!" Chopper and Carrot questioned.

"No, Aika!" Kumi cried. "He could kill you!"

"For you, Kumi," Aika began, "that's a risk I'm willing to take!"

On that, she ran into the kitchen with a loud yell. "I WON'T LET YOU KILL MY PUPPY!"

 **WHAM!** She tackled the mysterious figure, who let out a cry of surprise as they both hit the floor.

"Aika, what the hell are you doing?!"

Aika gasped upon hearing that familiar, somewhat scratchy voice.

"Big Brother?!" she asked. Soon, Carrot turned the lights on, revealing Luffy, back in his daytime clothes with a knife at his side.

"What are you doing, tackling me, like that?!" Luffy asked.

"I-I thought you were the Dog Killer!" Aika answered. "You know, the one from the Licked Hand?"

"The Licked Hand?!" Luffy questioned. "Oh, no...Blizzard isn't dead, is he?!"

 _"Luffy, I'm right here,"_ Blizzard said as he walked in with Nami and the rest of the Straw Hats.

"BLIZZARD!" Luffy cheered as he ran up and hugged the wolf-dog, who sighed.

"Oh, god, not the Licked Hand thing again," Zoro said.

"Yeah, we barely got enough sleep the last time Usopp told that story!" Sanji added as he glared at Usopp, who grinned sheepishly.

"Umm...my bad," he said.

"So...does this mean nobody's trying to kill Kumi, after all?" asked Aika.

"Of course no one's trying to kill Kumi, sweetheart," Robin said as she pet the young D. Carrier on the head. "It was just a story and nothing else."

Hearing that caused Kumi to sigh in relief.

"Thank goodness..." she whispered.

"But there's something I don't get," Carrot said. "What made the first dripping sound?"

"Brook was in the bathroom before Aika was," Nami answered.

"I accidentally left the tap on," Brook added. "I didn't think it would bother anybody."

"Well, what about that growling noise we heard?" Chopper asked.

"What growling?" Franky asked.

GRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWL~! The Straw Hats tensed upon hearing that growl.

"AAAAAAAAHH!" Chopper shrieked as he jumped into Usopp's arms.

"HOLY CRAP, WHAT WAS THAT?!" Usopp questioned.

"MONSTER!" Kumi yowled as she hid behind Aika, who looked over at Luffy.

"...Wait a second," Aika said as she went up to her brother and put her to his stomach...which made a deep rumbling sound, and hearing it caused Aika to laugh. "That's no monster, Kumi!"

"Psh!" Sanji scoffed. "Please. The only thing monstrous around here is Luffy's appetite!"

 _"Of course!"_ Kumi realized. _"It's Luffy's stomach growling! Why didn't I think of that before?!"_

 _"I think you were so scared,"_ Blizzard started, _"you were willing to believe anything."_

"Luffy, why are you up so late, anyway?" asked Jimbei.

"I guess I was so excited to eat breakfast tomorrow with Sabo and Koala," Luffy began, "my tummy couldn't wait, so I got up to get a snack."

"Luffy, why didn't you wake me?" Nami asked. "I could've made you a snack."

"I tried," Luffy replied, "but you were so deep in your sleep, I didn't wanna bother you."

"Well, since we're up," Sanji shrugged, "how about I make a snack for everyone?"

"Yeah!" Luffy and Aika cheered.

"Sounds good to me!" Usopp exclaimed.

"Yohohoho!" Brook chortled. "A capital idea!"

"I could go for a bite to eat," Franky added.

On that, everyone went to sit and wait for their food. As they did, Aika noticed that Kumi wasn't following, causing her to look at the pup in concern.

"What's wrong, Kumi?" Aika asked.

 _"...I can't believe that you were willing to face down a coldblooded killer, who turned out not to be a killer at all...for me,"_ Kumi answered.

"Well...of course I would!" Aika replied. "Killer or monster or...even the Marines! I'd face down any enemy to protect you, Kumi!"

"Why does that sound familiar?" Zoro asked as he glanced at Luffy, who grinned and made his usual "Shishishi" laugh.

 _"But...weren't you scared?"_ Kumi asked.

"Of course I was!" Aika answered, "but the thing I was scared of most of all...was losing you, Kumi. You're my best friend and I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you! I...I love you, Kumi!"

A pause...Kumi sniffled as she went up and hugged Aika.

 _"I love you, too, Aika~!"_ she sobbed.

"Hmm-hmm..." Jimbei chuckled. "Such true companions."

"BWAAAAAAAAAAAH~!" Franky wailed with tears pouring out of his eyes. "THAT'S SO CUTE! I'M NOT CRYING, YOU JERKS!"

"Ugh..." Luffy groaned as his stomach growled again. "Can we eat, now?"

"Way to ruin a moment," Nami sneered.

"Ahem!" Usopp cleared his throat as he walked up to Aika and Kumi. "Girls...I'm really sorry I told you that story. Next time, I'll try and tell you a story that's a little more tame, okay?"

"Okay," Aika smiled before she went and hugged Usopp. "You're forgiven, Usopp."

"Yeah!" Kumi agreed as she went and licked the sniper's face, causing him to laugh.

"Okay, who wants sandwiches?" Sanji asked as he put down a tray of sandwiches.

"Ooh, I do, I do, I do!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Me, too, me, too!" Aika piped up.

"I want one, too!" Carrot said. "One with lots of carrots!"

"You got corned beef in there?" asked Zoro.

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by Izuku Midoriya (My Hero Academia reference)*****

Once the crew's stomachs were filled, it was time for everyone to go back to bed again.

"I hope you two actually have a good night's sleep, this time," Nami said as she tucked Aika and Kumi in bed.

"I'm pretty sure we will, this time," Aika replied.

"Goodnight, you two," Luffy said as he kissed Aika's forehead, then gently pet Kumi. "Sweet dreams."

"Night-night," Aika said as Luffy and Nami left the room. As they did, Aika sighed as she pulled Kumi into her arms, and the two began to fall asleep together, and this time, Kumi slept a little more soundly, because she knew that as long as Aika, as well as the rest of the Straw Hats were around, she would always be safe.

Also, next time, she and Aika would have Usopp tell them a little less spooky.

* * *

 **THE END**

* * *

Review please!


	28. Snowflake

One Piece Prompts:

Snowflake

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, and Kumi © Me

* * *

Summary- Luffy attempts to give Nami a snowflake.

* * *

"YAHOO!"

Aika, in her wolf form, laughed as she jumped into the powdery white snow, and Kumi soon bounded into the snow bank, not long after. The two pups laughed as they wrestled around in the snow, coating themselves white as they did, before they both went to chase each other. Not too far from them, Usopp was building...well...a Snow-Sopp.

"And...perfect!" Usopp exclaimed. "A reasonable facsimile, even if I do say so myself."

"HEADS UP!"

Usopp turned around, only to cry out in surprise before he ducked down to avoid Carrot...who accidentally ran into his snow statue.

"Oh, Carrot!" Usopp complained.

"Sorry," Carrot apologized. "I was playing with tag with Chopper, but then I slipped."

"Sorry, Usopp!" Chopper called from a distance.

"Ugh..." Usopp groaned.

Nearby, Jimbei sat near a pond, meditating as the snow began to pile up on his shoulders, and Zoro was nearby practicing his sword swings...when he was suddenly hit in the back of the head with a snowball.

"AH!" he cried before he turned and saw that it was Sanji, who pointed and laughed at the swordsman. "DAMMIT, DARTBOARD!" He then grabbed an armful of snow and began to hurl snowballs at the cook, who turned and ran off. As for Franky, he whistled a small tune as he put the finishing touches on his igloo, complete with lookout tower telescope, and built in treads.

Don't ask.

Nami and Robin sat nearby the others, the latter reading her book while both were enjoying a nice hot cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows, not even looking up as they dodged Aika and Kumi as they ran by, while Brook quietly played the violin as the snowflakes fell. On the Sunny, Luffy sat on the deck while he lied on Blizzard's side, the wolf-dog snoring softly as they lounged together. As they did, Luffy's eyes went wide as he saw one of the snowflakes gently float down from the clouds.

It had a beautiful shape: it was perfectly round in the center with pretty diamonds at the edges.

"Whoa...!" Luffy whispered as he reached out to it and gently caught it in his hands. "I bet Nami would like to have one of these."

 _"Nami would love what?"_ Blizzard asked, sleepily.

"Don't worry about it," Luffy said as he got up and walked away. "I'll be right back."

Blizzard only yawned before he continued his nap. As for Luffy, he approached Nami, who smiled upon noticing him.

"Hi, babe," she said. "Whatcha got in your hands?"

"Look," Luffy said as he held out his hands, which Nami peered into...only to have a look of perplexity.

"Uhh...Luffy?" Nami asked. "What am I looking at?"

"Huh?" Luffy muttered before he looked in his hands and saw that the snowflake was gone, and the only thing in his palms was a tiny speck of water. "H-hey, where'd it go?!"

"Where did what go?" Robin asked.

"I caught a snowflake," Luffy answered. "I was gonna give it to Nami, but it disappeared!"

"Uh, Luffy?" Nami asked. "I appreciate the gesture and all, but-"

"It's okay!" Luffy said. "I'll just find another one! Just wait here!" On that, he ran off to find another snowflake.

"Should we tell him?" Robin asked.

"He's a big boy, Robin," Nami replied with a deadpanned tone.

 *****Short timeskip brough to you by Noah (Golem Hearts reference)*****

"Hmmm..." Luffy hummed as he walked around the forest, looking up at the falling snowflakes. "Let's see...which one of these should I catch for Nami?"

"Whatcha doin', Big Brother?"

Luffy turned to see Aika and Kumi standing behind him, looking up at him with curious eyes.

"Oh, hey girls," Luffy said. "I'm just trying catch a snowflake for Nami."

"Ooh~!" Aika chirped. "Can we help?!"

 _"Yeah, can we?!"_ Kumi asked with a wagging tail.

"Well...okay!" Luffy answered. "If you see any pretty snowflakes, catch them for me, okay?"

"Okay!" Aika answered as she and Kumi began to look around for any snowflakes to catch. As they did, Kumi gasped as one began to flutter down towards her nose. This one was a different shape from the one that Luffy had caught earlier: it had a bit of a star-shaped center with brances that ended with circles. The Akita pup smiled as the snowflake landed on her nose, causing her to cross her eyes as she gazed upon it, trying her hardest not to lick it.

 _"Psst...hey, hey, Luffy!"_ she called. _"Look! I caught one!"_

"You did?!" Luffy asked, excitedly as he ran over to the puppy. "Oh, great! Just hold still!"

Just when he was about to grab the snowflake, however, Kumi felt her nose twitch before she opened her mouth and sneezed, which caused the snowflake to melt.

"Oh, man!" Luffy bemoaned.

 _"Sorry, Luffy,"_ Kumi replied with a sniffle. "I guess I'm allergic to snow."

"That's not true, silly!" Aika pointed out. "If you were allergic to snow, you wouldn't be playing in it!"

 _"That's true!"_ Kumi nodded.

"Sorry we couldn't save your snowflake, though, Big Brother," Aika said.

"Ah, it's all right," Luffy replied. "I'll just find another snowflake. Why don't you go back to playing?"

"Okay!" Aika replied before she and Kumi turned and ran off to play. "See you later!"

 _"Hope you find a snowflake for Nami!"_ Kumi added.

"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed before he went off to look for another snowflake. "Hmmm...no...no, not that one." He then looked to the right. "Not that one, either."

That's when he spotted another snowflake. This one had a diamond pattern in the middle with swirly branches, which caused Luffy to smile as he caught it in his hands.

"Gotcha," he grinned before he began to scoop up some snow and rolled it up in a ball. "There. Now I won't lose you, and then I can give you to Nami!"

Satisfied with his seeming success, Luffy turned and prepared to head back...only to stop when he felt a certain tingling sensation, which caused him to stop and whimper as he crossed his legs.

"Ah, dammit, I would have to pee, now...!" he bemoaned. "Why did I drink all that water earlier?!" He then put the snowball down. "I-I'll be right back! Don't you go anywhere, okay?!"

On that, he ran off to go empty his bladder. However, while he went to take his leak, Sanji ran by while being chased by Zoro, who growled as he threw several snowballs at the cook.

"Get back here, you damn dartboard!" the swordsman yelled before he looked down at the snowball Luffy left, then grinned maliciously after Sanji as he picked it up. "Eat powder, cook!"

He then hurled the snowball at Sanji, who was too busy laughing to notice until he got hit in the face.

"OOF!" he cried before he growled in anger and lunged at Zoro, and soon, the two began to tussle around in the snow, cursing and insulting each other as they did. At that moment, Luffy returned with a deep sigh of relief, zipping up his fly as he did.

"Much better," he said before he looked down at the spot he left his snowball...only to gasp upon finding that it wasn't there. "H-hey, where's my snowball?"

"What snowball?" Zoro asked while Sanji was pulling on his cheeks. "And OW! Will you let go of my face, jerkass?!"

"No way!" Sanji barked.

"I had a snowball sitting right here," Luffy said as he pointed to the ground, "but now it's gone."

"Oh, I used that," Zoro replied. "I threw it at the cook. Why?"

"...I had a snowflake in there," Luffy said. "I was gonna give it to Nami."

"Uh, Luffy?" Sanji asked, finally letting go of Zoro. "I hate to break it to you, but a snowball's made up of a bunch of snowflakes. It's just gonna get all mushed up with the other ones."

"Oh," Luffy realized. "Well, I'm not gonna give up! I'll get Nami a snowflake before dinnertime!"

"But Luffy-" Zoro started, only for his captain to run off.

"...Should we tell him?" Sanji asked.

"Nah, he's a big boy," Zoro replied.

"Well, he's doing that, I'm gonna get lunch ready," Sanji said as he headed to the ship.

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by All For One (My Hero Academia)*****

It was about mid-afternoon, now, and Luffy was still trying to find that perfect snowflake for Nami...unfortunately, his rumbling stomach was telling him it was almost time for lunch.

"I know, tummy, I know," Luffy said to his stomach, "but I'll feed you after I get a snowflake for Nami, okay?"

He then looked up at the sky, trying to find another snowflake for his navigator, and soon enough, he spotted one: this one had triangular patterns on the edges with a tiny dot in the middle. In fact, the center almost looked like a tangerine. Perfect for Nami.

Luffy reached out to catch it, but then the wind blew, causing him to gasp before he went to get it. As he ran, he accidentally trampled Usopp's newly rebuilt Snow-sopp, causing him to groan in exasperation.

"Seriously?!" he asked.

Then he jumped over Chopper and Carrot, who both cried out as they ducked beneath him.

"Sorry!" Luffy called.

"Watch it!" Chopper shouted. "Are you crazy?!"

Luffy panted as he kept chasing after the snowflake, and in his haste, he accidentally ran into Franky's Super Igloo, which made a rather big hole in the wall.

"Oh, come on!" Franky shouted.

"Sorry about that, Franky!" Luffy answered as he kept chasing after the snowflake, heading right for the meditating Jimbei, who didn't even seem to notice the Straw Hat Captain. However, because Luffy wasn't exactly watching where he was going, he didn't realize he was about to head right for the pond...that is until he nearly fell off the bank.

"AAH!" he yelped as he waved his arms, trying to keep his balance. Just when it looked like he was about to fall into the freezing water, however, Jimbei suddenly reached out and grabbed Luffy before he pulled him back onto solid snow. "Whew! Thanks, Jimbei."

"Think nothing of it, Luffy," Jimbei replied, opening one eye at the boy.

"But wait, where's the snowflake?" asked Luffy, worriedly.

"Snowflake?" Jimbei asked. "What snowflake?"

"The one I was chasing!" Luffy answered as he looked around. He soon spotted the snowflake he had been pursuing...only to see it finally landing in the water, which caused him to sigh in defeat. "Never mind..."

"Pardon me," Brook said as he approached, along with Nami and Robin, "but why go through all this fuss for a snowflake?"

"I was trying to give one to Nami," Luffy answered. "I just thought that since she looked so pretty...I'd give her something pretty, too."

"Aww," Robin smiled while Nami smiled warmly.

"But every time I tried to get one, it either melts or vanishes," Luffy replied, solemnly.

"Well, Luffy, that's what happens with snowflakes," Nami said. "They're really tiny and delicate. They even melt the moment you touch them since they're made of ice crystals and all."

"...So I was wasting my time, then," Luffy said, sadly, which caused Nami to almost regret her words, but then she got down on her knees and pulled Luffy into a hug, and even gave him a kiss on the cheek, to his surprise.

"Luffy, I think it's really sweet that you'd wanna give me something like a snowflake," Nami said, "but you don't have to."

"Really?" Luffy asked.

"Yes, really," Nami answered. "Besides, I prefer watching snowflakes."

"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed. "Yeah, I think watching is easier than catching them."

"That's for sure," Usopp grumbled.

"Hey!" Sanji called out, causing everyone to turn around. "Who wants some nice hot stew?"

"Ooh! I do!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Me, too, me, too!" Aika added.

On that, everyone went up on the _Sunny_ to eat their lunch. The whole way, Luffy and Nami looked to each other with loving smiles. Then, all of a sudden, a snowflake suddenly landed on Nami's nose, causing her to blink in surprise before she laughed, causing Luffy to do the same, and the rest of the Straw Hats soon followed suit.

It seemed that even though it wasn't quite what he was expecting...Luffy managed to get Nami a snowflake after all.

 **THE END**

* * *

Here it is! My newest prompt!

After this, I wanna work on more of The Fire Within for a while. Review, please!


	29. Bluebells

One Piece Prompt:

Bluebells

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Monkey D. Aika © Me

* * *

Summary- Luffy learns about Ace's favorite flower.

* * *

"Hey, Luffy! Come here, look at these!"

"What'd you find, Ace?"

A 15-year-old Portgas D. Ace stood, practically towering over a patch of blue flowers that hung down with these round petals...almost like bells that swayed gently in the springtime breeze. If one would listen closely, they'd almost think that they could hear them ring, softly. Soon, his younger brother Luffy, only 12, came and stood by his side.

The brothers had just gotten through going on another dine-and-dash in High Town, and when they had made it to the open meadows beyond the jungle and the Gray Terminal, Ace suddenly stopped upon seeing the blue flowers, which caused Luffy to stop as well as his older brother went to survey them.

"What are those?" Luffy asked.

"They're bluebells," Ace said as he got down on his knees, which prompted Luffy to do the same, both being very careful not to crush them. "These are my favorite flowers in the whole world."

"Really?" Luffy asked. "How come?"

"A lot of flowers are a symbol for lots of things," said Ace. "Red roses mean love or desire, daisies mean innocence and purity...bluebells, they can mean either humility or gratitude."

"Gratitude?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah," Ace answered as he just barely touched one of the bluebells. "I'm grateful for a lot of things."

"Like what?" Luffy asked.

"...That I'm here, for one thing," Ace grinned as he looked to his brother out of the corner of his eye. "That and...everything Dadan's done for the both of us...even if we do give her a headache."

"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed.

"And I'm grateful to you, too, Luffy," Ace said, causing the younger D. Brother to blink at him in perplexity.

"Me? Why?" Luffy asked.

"...Just for being here," Ace answered as he pulled Luffy into a playful headlock and ruffled his hair, causing the 12-year-old to laugh as he tried to pull away.

"Ace, knock it off!" he exclaimed.

Ace chuckled before he stood up and began to walk away. Luffy blinked at the blubells, which continued to sway gently, back and forth in the light wind, before he turned and followed after his brother.

"Wait up, Ace!" Luffy called as he ran while the bluebells kept swaying, as if waving him off.

 _Flashback end_

"Whatcha doin', Big Brother?"

Luffy shook his head before he turned to see Aika, who blinked at him curiously.

"Oh, hey, Aika," Luffy greeted. "What's going on?"

"How come you're looking at those blue flowers?" Aika asked as she pointed at something in front of Luffy. "You just stopped and stared at them."

Luffy looked to where his sister was pointing and saw that he was standing in front of a patch of bluebell flowers. He blinked at them, as if in perplexity, before he smiled and looked to Aika, who blinked up at him.

"Come here, Aika," Luffy said as he took her into his arms and got down on his knees. "You know what these are?"

Aika shook her head no.

"These are bluebells," Luffy answered. "They were...Ace's favorites."

"Really?" Aika asked.

"Yeah," Luffy replied. "Ace told me that bluebells mean gratitude...and he was grateful that he was alive because he always wondered if he deserved to live or not."

"But...of course he deserved to live," Aika spoke.

"I know," Luffy said before heaving a small sigh. "Some people just...didn't think the same way."

Aika looked up at Luffy in concern, then glanced down at the bluebells, which swayed gently in the wind. She then smiled as an idea soon hatched in her head.

"Big Brother, let's take some back to the _Sunny_ with us!" she exclaimed.

"Huh?" Luffy muttered. "Why?"

"That way you can have bluebells to look at every morning!" Aika answered. "And if they wither, Aunt Robin can take the seeds and plant them in her garden, so you don't have to worry about taking care of them!"

A pause...but then Luffy smiled at Aika.

"That sounds perfect," he said.

Aika beamed before she kissed Luffy on the cheek, then proceeded to pick a few bluebells, just so there was enough for the rest to continue growing. Then, she turned around and ran off.

"Come on, Big Brother!" Aika called to Luffy, who chuckled before he began to follow her...but then he stopped and momentarily looked up at the sun.

"...Happy Birthday, Ace," he whispered before he turned and continued to follow his sister back to the _Sunny_...and if one were to look closely, they could've sworn that they had seen someone standing near the bluebells before he disappeared.

 **THE END**

* * *

Short, but sweet. ^^

Happy belated birthday, Ace and Oda. :)

Review, please!


	30. Iced Coffee

One Piece Prompts

Iced Coffee

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, and Kumi © Me

* * *

Summary- While Aika and Kumi wait for Luffy and Nami outside of a café, they meet someone from the Straw Hats' past.

* * *

Thanks to Gakuto1991 for helping me out with this one.

* * *

A snowy day on a Winter Island in the New World. A particular where some people would normally sit inside their homes, in front of a warm, cozy fireplace, and others would be out having snowball fights, ice-skating, building snowmen or igloos, or simply just out walking and enjoying each other's company.

As for the Straw Hats, they had recently docked here and had come to have a look around. In fact, Luffy and Nami, as well as Aika and Kumi, were currently out for a walk in town. While Luffy, Nami, and Aika were wearing their coats, Kumi was wearing a green shawl around herself. As of this moment, Aika and Kumi were having a rather important discussion.

 _"No, no, no, Aika, I'm telling you!"_ Kumi answered. _"Rainbow Dash is the best of the Mane 6!"_

"No way!" Aika argued. "It's Twilight who's the best!"

 _"Nuh-uh!"_ Kumi denied. _"Just because she's an alicorn now doesn't make her the best!"_

"Ugh..." Luffy groaned as he rubbed his temples. "There they go again...I swear, I don't understand HALF the things they talk about whenever they get into debates like this."

"Luffy, come on," Nami said. "They're best friends. They tend to get into little arguments like this. You know, like how you and Zoro sometimes fight between which of the X-Men is better."

"He can say Wolverine all he wants," Luffy muttered. "Cyclops is the best."

"And besides," Nami began, "everyone knows that Rarity is the best pony."

"What?!" Aika and Kumi questioned.

"Oh, come on, she's the Element of Generosity!" Nami argued. "You can't beat that!"

"You've gotta be kidding!" Aika shouted.

"Does it even MATTER?!" Luffy asked in frustration. "All you need to know is that all the ponies are friends! Why should any of them be better than the other?!"

Nami, Aika, and Kumi fell silent.

"...You know what?" Aika asked. "Big Brother's right. The ponies are all friends. They don't need to be better than each other."

 _"Kinda like us!"_ Kumi answered. _"We're all good at certain things, but we don't think we're better than anyone for it."_

"Yeah, they are kinda like us, huh?" Nami asked.

"Finally..." Luffy said, relieved...until his stomach began to rumble. "Ugh...just my luck."

"Why does THAT not surprise me?" Nami asked, incredulously before she looked around and spotted a café nearby. "Oh, look! Maybe we can get a snack from there! And I was thinking about getting a cup of coffee!"

"Sounds good to me!" Luffy answered as the group went up the stairs.

"You think they'll have cookies in there?" Aika asked.

"Well, we'll see, Aika," Luffy answered.

"Uh-oh," Nami muttered as she looked at the door. "Umm...Luffy? We got a problem."

Luffy looked at the door and saw a sign that said "NO PETS ALLOWED (except for service animals)".

"Uh-oh," Luffy muttered.

"No pets?!" Aika asked in disbelief.

 _"You mean I can't go in?!"_ Kumi asked.

"Sorry, Kumi," Luffy said. "Guess you'll have to wait out here for us."

Kumi whimpered as she slumped down on the patio, causing Aika to look at her best friend sadly before she looked up at Luffy and Nam.

"Can I stay out here with Kumi?" she asked.

"Are you sure, honey?" Nami asked.

"Yeah," Aika answered. "I feel bad that Kumi can't go in with us."

Kumi barked happily before she went up and licked the younger D. Carrier's face, causing her to laugh.

"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed. "We understand. Sure, you can stay out here and wait for us. Just stay put and keep outta trouble, okay?"

"We will!" Aika and Kumi answered.

On that, Luffy and Nami went inside the café while Aika and Kumi sat outside to wait for them. As they did, the two suddenly started shivering as a chilling wind blew through the streets.

"Hey...did it get colder to you? Or is it me?" asked Aika.

 _"It's definitely a little chillier now,"_ Kumi answered. _"Why is that?"_

"Scuse me."

The two gasped as they turned to see a rather tall man wearing a pair of sunglasses, a long, gray trenchcoat, a white shirt, and black pants, as well as a beanie over his head and a knapsack slung over his shoulder. His breath came out as a light fog and it gave him a bit of an imposing air about him. Aika gulped as she shrunk back at the sight of him, as did Kumi.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you there," said the man. "Just wondering what a little girl and her puppy are doing out here by themselves."

"Umm...I'm just waiting for my Big Brother and Big Sis to come out," Aika answered. "Kumi's not allowed inside, so..."

"I see," the man said before he went over and sat on a bench. "Well, I can't very well leave a little girl like you to sit by herself." He then gestured to the empty space next to him. "Come on. You can sit here with me."

Aika and Kumi glanced at each other.

 _"What do you think?"_ Kumi whispered.

"...He doesn't seem very bad," Aika answered. "At least, I don't sense anything bad about him, anyway."

On that, the two went and sat by the man, but despite his seemingly friendly nature, the air around them was still a bit uneasy.

"So, you got a name?" the man inquired.

"...I'm...I'm Aika," Aika answered as she pet Kumi. "This is Kumi."

"Aika and Kumi, huh?" asked the man.

"What about you?" asked Aika. "What's your name?"

"...You can call me...Kuzan."

"...Kuzan..." Aika repeated before she smiled. "That's a nice name."

Kuzan chuckled as he crossed one leg over the other. Aika sat back against, feeling a bit more confident than she did before. Of course, she knew she shouldn't let her guard down, just in case. Also...she didn't know what to say to this mysterious stranger, next. That's when she noticed the rather large and grisly scar on Kuzan's collarbone. In fact, if she didn't know better...it almost looked like he had gotten...burned.

"...Umm...Mr. Kuzan?" Aika asked. "I know it's probably impolite of me...but...well...where did you get-"

"These scars?" asked Kuzan, pointing to his neck. "You don't need to know the details, little girl...all you need to know is that I got into something I actually had no business doing."

"I see," Aika said. "I only asked because...my Big Brother has a scar like that, too...I-I mean...he got burned, also."

"That right?" Kuzan inquired. "Well, what's done is done...can't really mope around about it, can I?"

"I guess not," Aika answered.

"So...you live with your older brother, huh?" asked Kuzan.

"Well, not just him," Aika replied. "Kumi and I live with all his friends, too. There's at least 14 of us!"

"That so?" Kuzan asked with mild intrigue. "Hehehe...sounds like you got a big family there."

"You know what's funny?" asked Aika. "I never thought I'd be part of a family again."

"What makes you say that?" asked Kuzan, sounding slightly surprised.

"Well...a long time ago, I used to live on another island with my Mommy," said Aika, "but...but then..." She sighed.

"...Say no more," Kuzan said. "I'm sorry for your loss, kid."

"It's okay," Aika answered. "At least I'm not alone anymore! I'm with my Big Brother, my Big Sis, and the others, now!"

 _"Ahem!"_ Kumi cleared her throat.

"Oh, right," Aika said as she pet Kumi. "And Kumi, too."

"Sounds to me your brother takes really good care of you," said Kuzan.

"Oh, yeah!" Aika answered. "He loves me, and so does Big Sis and all my friends, too! They always wanna make sure I'm happy and they're always protecting me because they know I'm not really strong enough to fend for myself, yet. Sometimes, they scold me for wandering away, but I know it's just because they're trying to look out for me and make sure I'm safe, and they don't ever stay mad at me, for long!"

"Heh," Kuzan smirked. "Sounds like you found yourself a good family."

"I sure did!" Aika answered. "And my Big Brother is the best!"

"And why is that?" Kuzan asked.

"Because he's really strong, and cool, and brave," Aika said. "I wanna be just like him when I get bigger...oh! And guess what! He's gonna be the King of the Pirates, one day!"

 _"Yeah, yeah!"_ Kumi nodded in agreement.

Although he didn't show it, Kuzan was actually a bit shocked at those words...almost as if he had heard it before.

"I see," he said with an intrigued chuckle. "King of the Pirates, huh? Sounds like a confident guy."

"He sure is!" Aika answered. "He's so strong, 100 men couldn't take him down! Not even a thousand men!"

 _"Yeah, or even 10 thousand!"_ Kumi exclaimed.

"Well, I believe that," Kuzan answered.

"And he's got this really cool power, too!" Aika said. "He can knock out people with a single stare!"

"A single stare, huh?" Kuzan asked.

"Yeah!" Aika answered. "He says it's called Haki!"

"Conqueror's Haki..." Kuzan muttered as he looked to the sky. "They say that those with that rare ability...has the power to become a king."

"Wow, really?!" Aika asked. "Then that means that my Big Brother's definitely gonna be King of the Pirates!"

Kuzan chuckled in his throat.

"Well...we'll see, kiddo," he said. "We'll see."

Meanwhile, inside the café, Nami had just finished buying herself a cup of coffee while Luffy ate some raspberry scones. It helped that Nami got a discount...thanks to her natural good looks. She even got in a free bag of gingersnap cookies for Aika and some melon slices for Kumi.

"Have a nice day, miss," said the cashier.

"Thank you!" Nami answered. "Come on, Luffy, let's go."

"Yeah," Luffy answered as he ate the last of his scones. "You got Aika's snacks, right?"

"Yep," Nami answered.

"Good," Luffy answered. "...Hey...did you notice something weird? It kinda got a little colder."

"...Actually, I did notice that," Nami replied. "I just didn't say anything."

"Huh," Luffy muttered as the couple headed out side. "It's probably nothing."

However, the moment he and Nami came outside, they both gasped upon seeing Kuzan sitting with Aika and Kumi on the bench, all of them looking quite nonchalant.

"Oh," Kuzan said as he noticed Luffy and Nami. "It's you two."

"AOKIJI?!" Luffy questioned.

"OH MY GOD!" Nami cried as she ran up and snatched Aika and Kumi into her arms.

"Whoa!" Aika yelped.

 _"Hey, what gives?!"_ Kumi asked.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, talking to my little sister?!" Luffy questioned as he glared at Kuzan. "I swear, if you touch even one hair on her head-"

"Whoa, let's not jump to conclusions," Kuzan said, raising his arms. "She and I were having a casual conversation. Nothing more than that."

Luffy only glared at Kuzan, who stood up.

"I only came here to get myself a cup of coffee," said Kuzan, "but when I saw the kid out here all alone, I decided to keep her company until you got out. I didn't expect her to be your sister, though."

"Why's it any of your business?" Luffy asked.

"Now, hold on," Kuzan said. "In case you forgot, I'm not with the Marines, anymore. I don't pose any threat to you, now do I?"

Aika gasped silently upon hearing that.

"He was...a Marine...?" she whispered.

"You might not be a Marine anymore," Luffy began, "but still."

"Hey, I understand," Kuzan answered. "A brother has to protect his sister, am I right?"

"...Yeah," Luffy answered with a serious expression.

"Sorry about this, Aika," Kuzan said. "I understand if you don't trust me, anymore...but it was nice talking to you."

"...Yeah...you too, I guess," Aika answered, a bit apprehensively while Kumi growled at him.

"...Luffy, I'm gonna take the girls to the _Sunny_ , okay?" Nami asked as she turned to leave. "...And please try not to go crazy."

"...I'll try," Luffy answered, not taking his eyes off of Kuzan, who stared right back at him while Nami took the girls away.

"I take it your sister's not a fan of the Marines," Kuzan mused.

"Not a lot of them," Luffy said. "Especially Akainu...not after that bastard ruined her life."

"I know," Kuzan answered. "I found out sometime after it was destroyed...I can't believe Sakazuki would go so far, just to kill one harmless little girl."

"Why should you care?" Luffy asked. "You went after Robin when she was a kid."

"That was different," Kuzan said. "And even then, I let Nico Robin escape, since I made a promise to a friend of mine." He then turned and faced Luffy. "If you're looking for a fight so bad...I'll gladly give you one, Straw Hat."

On that, his face began to turn to ice, which prompted Luffy to take a fighting stance as he imbued both arms with Armaments Haki. The two stood before each other, glaring face-to-face as the wind blew, ruffling their coats. Then...Luffy's arms went back to normal and he stood up straight, which prompted Kuzan's face to return to normal, as well.

"I thought so," he said. "You made a wise move, Straw Hat."

"...I learned," Luffy answered before he walked down the steps of the café and prepared to head off in the direction in which Nami, Aika, and Kumi left.

"Straw Hat!" Kuzan called, causing Luffy to stop in his tracks. "Call it what you will...but I say that little Aika's home getting destroyed is really a blessing in disguise. I can tell that you and your crew give her a lot of love...just make sure it stays that way."

"...Of course," Luffy answered as he walked away, while Kuzan chuckled and headed into the building.

"Dragon sure ended up with some pretty special children," he said. "A son who shook the world, and a daughter who has yet to find out what her destiny might be...she might end up becoming as infamous as Straw Hat and Fire Fist..." He then shrugged. "Oh, well...not my problem, anymore."

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by the** _ **Aloha Oe**_ **(Space Dandy reference)*****

"They're back!" Carrot called from the Crow's Nest of the _Sunny_ , which prompted the rest of the Straw Hats to turn and see Nami, along with Aika and Kumi.

"Welcome back, Miss Nami, Young Miss Aika, and Young Miss Kumi!" Brook greeted. "So, can I-"

"Brook, not now, all right?" Nami asked in a warning tone. "Just...just don't."

The skeleton, though a bit taken back, wisely kept his jawbone shut, to Robin's concern.

"Nami, is everything all right?" the archaeologist asked, but Nami just walked on by with Aika and Kumi following after, and it was at that moment that Luffy showed up, too, prompting Robin to sigh as she looked to him.

"Do I want to know?" she asked.

"...We saw Aokiji in town," Luffy answered.

"What?!" a startled Robin questioned.

"AOKIJI?!" Usopp and Chopper asked in fright.

"HOLY CRAP, WHERE?!" Usopp shouted.

"Wait, what's an Aokiji?" Carrot inquired.

 _"Not 'an Aokiji',"_ Blizzard answered. _"Aokiji. He used to be an Admiral of the Marines, but...there was a fight between him and Akainu and now he's just out doing who-knows-what. His real name is Kuzan, and he has the powers of the Chilly-Chilly Fruit. He can turn himself and everything around him into ice...he can even freeze people on the spot."_

"Where's Aokiji now, Luffy?" Zoro asked.

"He didn't hurt the girls, did he?!" Sanji questioned. "Because if he did, I swear-"

"Now hold on a second!" Luffy exclaimed. "There's no need to put up a fuss! He's probably gone by now...and...he wasn't really causing any trouble. We just saw him, sitting with Aika and Kumi outside this café that Nami and I went into. Nothing more than that."

"Phew!" Usopp sighed in relief. "I mean...not that I was scared, you know!"

"Y-yeah, me neither!" Chopper added.

"Wait, go back," Robin said. "Luffy, what was Aokiji doing with Aika and Kumi anyway?"

"I dunno," Luffy answered. "They were just sitting there, acting all casual."

"You didn't try to fight him, did you?" Jimbei asked.

"I...almost did," Luffy admitted. "But I decided not to."

"Wise choice," Jimbei said as he put his hand on Luffy's shoulder. "Even if we all fought against him, it would still be likely that he would have the advantage, since it's winter all year round, here."

"Yeah," Luffy said. "I mean...I know it's probably not likely, but he'd probably freeze me again like he did before."

"Big Brother?"

Luffy looked down at Aika, who blinked up at him.

"You know...he never tried to hurt me," she said. "In fact, I didn't even sense that he was bad...we just had a casual conversation."

"Even so, Aika," Nami began, "you shouldn't be so trusting of people sometimes. Aokiji may not be our enemy for now...but he might be our enemy again, one day."

"...Yes, Big Sis," Aika said, causing Nami to smile and kiss her cheek.

"Good girl," she praised.

"The important thing is that you and Kumi are okay," Luffy said as he gently ruffled his younger half-sister's hair. "You ARE okay, right?"

"Yes, Big Brother, I am," Aika answered.

"Just checking," Luffy grinned.

"I just made some nice hot monkfish bouillabaise," Sanji said. "How about we all go in and have some?"

"Yay!" Aika cheered.

"All right!" Luffy exclaimed as he ran to the kitchen.

"Yeah, food, food, food!" Chopper chirped as the Straw Hats began to gather into the kitchen.

"Wait for me! I want some, too!" Carrot called.

As the Straw Hats headed in to have lunch, Aika suddenly stopped in her tracks before she looked up towards a snowy cliff.

"Aika!" Kumi called. "Come on! What are you waiting for?"

A pause...but then Aika walked into the kitchen with Kumi to eat Sanji's fresh cooked bouillabaise...but on the cliff stood none other than Kuzan, who stared down at the _Sunny_ before he chuckled. In his hand was a cup of coffee...which was actually frosted over with some ice, from which he took a sip.

"Mmm...who says iced coffee isn't as good as hot coffee?" he asked...before he disappeared.

 **THE END**

* * *

This one was a long time coming. Sorry for the long wait.

Review, please!


	31. Chocolate

One Piece Prompts:

Chocolate

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, and Kumi © Me

* * *

Summary- Sanji helps Luffy make chocolate for Nami on Valentine's Day.

* * *

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

That scream came from none other than Sanji, who had entered the kitchen, only to find nothing but chaos inside. The floor, table, and walls were covered in this strange, brown goop that was dripping everywhere, the cupboard was open and a bag of salt had spilled on the floor, and in the middle of it all...was his captain, Luffy, who blinked innocently as he looked at Sanji, who, needless to say, was fuming so much that his cigarette disintegrated. The blonde cook seethed as he stomped toward Luffy, who gulped nervously as he found himself sitting on his bottom and backing away, bracing himself for a beating.

"...Before I kick the ever-living crap outta you," Sanji cursed, "do you mind telling me WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED IN HERE?!"

Luffy's teeth chattered before he swallowed again.

"I...I didn't mean to make a mess," he said.

"I asked you what the hell happened, Luffy!" Sanji barked. "You come in here and waste salt and...whatever else this is! WHAT WERE YOU DOING IN HERE?!"

A pause...but Luffy heaved a sigh.

"...Chocolate," he said.

"...Come again?" Sanji asked, his voice now lowering.

"I was...trying to make chocolate," Luffy answered. "For Nami. It's Valentine's Day tomorrow, and..."

"...I see," Sanji said, taking out a new cigarette, put it in his mouth, and lit it up before taking a puff of smoke. "You just wanted to do something special for Nami."

"Uh-huh," Luffy nodded. "Sorry, Sanji...I know you don't like it when food gets wasted."

Sanji stared down at his captain, and although his face didn't show it, inside, he felt a bit guilty for snapping. As dim as he sometimes acted, Sanji knew that sometimes, Luffy just wanted to do things for Nami to make her happy, and to him, Nami's happiness was much more important. Heaving a sigh, Sanji went over to the nearby closet and grabbed a mop and bucket, then walked over to Luffy before he held the handle out to him.

"Come on, get up," he said. "Clean this stuff up and I'll help you make chocolate, okay?"

Hearing that caused Luffy to grin broadly.

"You will?!" he asked. "Really?!"

"Just hurry up and clean this mess!" Sanji demanded. "I don't have all day, you know!"

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by Black Dog Ruth (The Ancient Magus' Bride)*****

"Okay, Luffy, you ready?" asked Sanji, standing in the now clean kitchen.

"Yep!" Luffy grinned, wearing a chef's hat on his straw hat.

"...Right," Sanji said as he put a pot on the stove and put some sort of buttery substance inside of it. "First, we put in some cocoa butter and slowly let it melt. If we cook it too fast, it'll burn."

Luffy nodded his head as he watched the butter melt. It took everything he had not to lose interest and wander off to do something else. After all, Sanji was doing this for him and the least he could do was stick to it until the end.

After a while, the cocoa butter had simmered and melted completely.

"Okay, now pour in some milk powder," Sanji told Luffy, who picked up a jar of said-ingredient and pour a bit of it into the cocoa butter, which Sanji stirred and stirred until the powder had dissolved.

"Then we add this stuff, right?" Luffy asked as he held up a jar of powdered sugar and another jar full of cocoa powder.

"Right," Sanji nodded, "but before we do, I have to ask...why did you use salt earlier."

"I thought it was taste better that way," Luffy shrugged, which caused the cook to sigh and shake his head.

"Good grief," he muttered. "I don't think I'll ever understand you, Luffy."

"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed before he poured the ingredients into the mixture, which Sanji kept stirring. After a while, it became the familiar smooth, rich-looking texture that Luffy recognized. The captain couldn't help attempting to stick his finger inside the pot to lick off of, but Sanji swatted his hand with the spoon, which caused Luffy to recoil in slight pain before he gave the cook a pout.

"Stingy..." he muttered while Sanji poured the chocolate into a tray of some kind.

"I'm gonna get this stuff cooled off," Sanji started, "and then we'll decorate it. I'll call you when it's ready, okay?"

"'Kay," Luffy nodded before he turned and walked out while Sanji put the tray in the freezer to cool down the chocolate, then sat down to have a smoke.

"...Sometimes, I really wonder about that moron," he said before taking a drag of his cigarette and blowing out a puff of smoke.

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by Chizumo Akaguro (My Hero Academia)*****

"Luffy!" Sanji called out to Luffy, who was playing tag with Aika, Kumi, and Carrot. "Come on! The chocolates are cooled off!"

"Oh!" Luffy exclaimed as he ran to the kitchen, while Aika and Kumi glanced at each other in confusion.

 _"Did he say chocolate?"_ Kumi asked.

"Uh...I think so," Aika answered.

"I love chocolate!" exclaimed Carrot.

In the kitchen, Sanji had taken the chocolates out, revealing them to be shaped like hearts.

"Ooh, cool!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Now we decorate them," Sanji said as he took out a frosting bag. "What do you want them to have?"

"Hmm...ooh!" Luffy chirped. "How about some that have Berry signs and some that have Nami's tattoo?"

"Okay," Sanji nodded. "Anything else?"

"Hmm..." Luffy hummed, putting a hand to his chin in thought. "...Oh, I know!" He then whispered in the blonde cook's ear.

"Really?" Sanji asked. "I'm not all that surprised, honestly...but yeah, I can do that, too."

"Sweet!" Luffy exclaimed. "Thanks, Sanji!"

"Yeah, yeah," Sanji muttered as he went to decorate the chocolates with orange frosting. To keep him occupied, Sanji decided to have Luffy wash the dishes for him. It's not that he didn't trust Luffy, it's just that he knew how his captain could be at times. Although he had to admit, his heart was usually in the right place, such as trying to make Nami happy, and he always did admire him for that.

Perhaps next time, this would help teach Luffy so he wouldn't have to worry about making chocolate the next time he attempted to do so...though it went without saying that the captain could always turn to his cook for help.

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by Titania and Oberon (The Ancient Magus' Bride reference)*****

Valentine's Day had arrived, and the Straw Hats were all out on deck to give each other their happy wishes.

"Here, Jimbei!" Aika exclaimed as she handed the Whale Shark Fishman a heart-shaped card. "I made Valentine cards for everyone!"

Jimbei chuckled as he took the card in his hand and opened it to reveal a drawing of himself and Aika, holding hands with little pink hearts around them.

"You almost remind me of Koala," Jimbei said. "She used to draw cards like this."

"I got one from the little gal, too!" Franky exclaimed as he held up a card from Aika, as well. "Isn't she just...the sweetest thing...?!" He then sniffled. "I ain't cryin'...!"

"Yohohoho!" Brook laughed as he also held up a card. "I got one from the young miss, as well!"

"And me, too!" Usopp added as he held up his card, as well.

"Here you go, Carrot!" Chopper said as he gave Carrot a bunch of...well, carrots. "Happy Valentine's Day!"

"Yay!" Carrot cheered as she nuzzled Chopper. "Thank you, Chopper! Garchu~!"

"Ehehehehe..." Chopper chuckled. "Saying that doesn't make me happy, you know!"

Robin handed Zoro a bottle of champagne with a ribbon tied around the neck.

"Here, Zoro," she said. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Oh, you got the good stuff," Zoro said as he looked at the bottle. "Not a bad year, too. Thanks, Robin...maybe we can share a glass, tonight."

Robin chuckled in amusement.

"I'd like that," she said.

Kumi walked up to Blizzard, holding a squeaky bone in her mouth before she put it down and nudged it toward him.

 _"I don't have any Valentine stuff to give you,"_ said Kumi, _"so I thought I'd share my favorite toy instead."_

 _"I appreciate the gesture, Kumi,"_ Blizzard smiled. "Thank you."

Then came Nami's turn as Luffy walked up her while holding a small bowl full of the chocolates that he and Sanji made together.

"Here, Nami!" Luffy exclaimed. "Happy Valentine's Day!"

"Chocolates for me?" Nami asked.

"Yep! Homemade and everything!" Luffy grinned.

"...Wait," Nami said with slight apprehension. "Y-you made these, Luffy?"

"Before you say anything else," Luffy started as he pointed to Sanji, "Sanji helped me."

"You're welcome," Sanji said.

"Phew!" Nami sighed in relief before she gasped. "N-no offense, Luffy!"

"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed. "It's okay...I tried to make them myself, but I did a pretty sucky job. I'm glad Sanji helped me out."

Sanji smiled, as did Nami, who took one of the chocolates in her hand: one that had an L on it.

"What's this?" Nami asked, although she looked like she already knew the answer.

"It's your tattoo," Luffy said. "I mean...your other tattoo, on your right shoulder."

"...I figured," Nami said with a slight chuckle. "...Hey, Luffy. Close your eyes."

"Huh?" Luffy muttered. "Why?"

"Just do it," Nami told him, and Luffy soon obliged. Then, the navigator captured his lips with her own, causing him to blush a bit before he returned the kiss. For a moment, he felt something getting pushed onto his tongue. It was sweet and a little creamy, and he could taste just a tiny hint of vanilla in it.

Nami pulled away, and Luffy ended up chewing the chocolate that was in his mouth.

"Shishishishi!" Luffy laughed. "I should've seen that coming."

Nami could only laugh, as did the rest of the Straw Hats. As for Sanji, he gave a light chuckle as he turned and walked away, but then...

"Hey, Sanji, wait!"

Sanji turned around and saw Luffy walk up to him and hold out his hand, which held a...slightly melted chocolate heart and some squiggly line on it.

"...What is that?" Sanji asked.

"It's a chocolate I decorated at the last second," Luffy said. "I wanted to give it to you as thanks for helping me, the other day." He then chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry if it's kind of melted. It's been in my pocket."

A pause...but then Sanji shrugged, took the gooey heart in his fingers, and then popped it in his mouth.

"Mmm..." he hummed before he swallowed. "Not bad, Captain."

"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed.

"...But just one thing."

"What?"

"...NEVER cook in my kitchen, AGAIN."

* * *

 **HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY**

* * *

Review, please!


	32. Null

One Piece Prompts:

Null

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, and Kumi © Me

* * *

Summary- While out exploring, Luffy and Aika bring home an unusual friend.

* * *

A/N: Thank you, Gakuto1991, for helping me out with this one.

* * *

Dusk in the New World. The _Thousand Sunny_ , having recently docked at a new island, was moored off the southern coast, far out of the eyes of civilization. The Straw Hats, themselves, had just finished eating their dinner: shark sashimi with a lobster salad, and now, Aika had just finished helping Sanji wash the dishes.

"All done!" the young D. Carrier exclaimed as she held up the clean and shiny plate.

"Thank you, sweetie," Sanji smiled as he pet Aika on the head and put the plate away into the cupboard.

"Can I go out and play, now?" Aika asked.

"I dunno, honey," Nami answered. "It's getting late and it's almost your bedtime."

"Oh, come on!" Aika complained. "Please~? I'll bring Big Brother with me so he can watch me!"

Nami and Sanji both glanced at each other, worriedly. They knew that Luffy always meant well, but he had a tendency to let Aika out of his sight, and whenever that happened, Aika tended to get herself into trouble that the older members had to get her out of.

"Well...I still don't know, honey," Nami said.

"Please, Big Sis?" Aika asked. "Pretty please with cookies on top?" She then gave Nami and Sanji her best puppy dog eyes.

"Awww~!" they both cooed.

"All right," Nami answered. "Lemme just wake up your brother. I hope he's not too deep in his food coma yet."

Speaking of whom, the Straw Hat Captain was lying on the deck, his hugely distended belly rising and falling with each snore he made and a large snot bubble in his nose. However, he didn't realize that he was about to have a bit of a rude awakening...in the form of Usopp, Chopper, and Carrot, who were all snickering.

"Okay, ready?" Usopp asked as he held up an air horn.

"Yeah!" Carrot answered as she held up a black marker, while Chopper held up a bucket of icy water while nodding eagerly.

 **~One minute later~**

"1...2...3!" Usopp counted down before he blew the air horn while Chopper threw the icy water on Luffy, who woke up with a shriek.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" he questioned.

"Yes!" Usopp exclaimed as he and Chopper high-fived while Carrot was rolling on the deck with laughter.

"What was that for?!" Luffy asked.

"That's for barging in on us and waking us up!" Usopp answered.

"Oh, come on!" Luffy complained. "I was hungry, so I had to wake Sanji up somehow!"

"Did you have to be in your birthday suit, though?" asked Chopper.

"Seriously, next time, put some clothes when you and Nami are done have your little romp-arounds!" Usopp added, which caused Luffy to blush as red as a tomato, but then he cleared his throat.

"You're just jealous," he said.

"Yeah, right," Usopp replied.

"All right, all right, knock it off!" Nami called as she approached. "That's enough, you three. Go bother Zoro or something."

"Party pooper," Usopp grumbled as he, Chopper, and Carrot walked off.

"Can you believe those guys?" Luffy asked. "At least Carrot didn't do anything."

"...I wouldn't be too sure about that," said Nami as she held up a mirror...revealing Luffy's face, covered in various doodles.

"...CARROT!" Luffy yelled before he stormed off to go wash his face.

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by Silver (The Ancient Magus' Bride reference)*****

"So Aika wants to go out on the island and play?" Luffy asked as he wiped his face with a towel.

"Yeah, and I need you to watch her," said Nami. "And seriously, Luffy, I CANNOT stress that enough."

"Ah, relax, Nami," Luffy assured. "I got eyes like a hawk. I won't let Aika outta my sight! Right, Aika?"

No answer.

"Aika?" Luffy asked as he turned around. "Aika?! W-where are you?! OH, NO, I ALREADY LOST HER! AIKA, WHERE ARE YOU, SIS?!"

"I'm right here, Big Brother," Aika answered, standing at the left of Luffy, who sighed in relief.

"There you are," he said. "Don't scare me like that!"

"Eyes like a hawk, huh?" Nami asked, incredulously, causing Luffy to laugh sheepishly.

"...I really will keep an eye on her," he said. "I swear I will!"

"I sure hope so, Luffy," Nami said.

"Come on, Nami," Luffy said. "It's me we're talkin' about, here! If Aika gets in any trouble, I'll get her out of it! I always do it, right, sis?"

"Yep!" Aika grinned.

"...Okay," Nami smiled. "Go on and have fun, but be careful and bring Aika back in time for bed, okay?"

"I promise, Nami," said Luffy.

"Yeah, me too!" Aika added before she grabbed Luffy by the arm and began to tug. "Come on, Big Brother! Let's go!"

"Okay, okay, I'm comin- WHOA!" Luffy cried as Aika pulled him along. Although she had her misgivings, Nami still smiled after them as they left.

Little did they know, however, that on this island, they would have an unlikely encounter.

 *****Scene change brought to you by Korra and Asami going to the Spirit World (The Legend of Korra reference)*****

Out on the island, Luffy stood nearby as he watched Aika run and jump and roll around in the long grass, which caused him to smile warmly as she did so. It reminded him that even though she had so many horrible things, his little sister was still innocent inside.

"Big Brother, look at me!" Aika exclaimed before she performed a perfect somersault.

"Nice!" Luffy praised.

"Carrot's been teaching me!" Aika answered.

"That's good," Luffy smiled. "You keep that up, 'kay?"

But then, the D. Siblings heard an ominous growling sound, causing Aika to glance up at Luffy.

"Was that your tummy, Big Brother?" Aika asked.

"No," Luffy answered. "I just ate, after all."

"Well, it wasn't my tummy," Aika replied as she looked around, and that's when she spotted some nearby bushes, and something appeared to be moving around inside them.

"Huh?" Luffy muttered. "What's that?"

"I don't know," Aika answered as she approached the bushes.

"H-hey, wait a second!" Luffy exclaimed. "Aika, maybe you shouldn't-"

"Hello?" Aika asked. "Is someone there?"

However, she soon got her answer when something emerged from the bushes, growling viciously at her, which caused her to gasp while Luffy quickly snatched her up in his arms, prepared to defend his little sister...but when the creature stepped forward, neither of the D. Siblings were expecting what they were seeing. It looked like...some sort of a hybrid beast- a hodgepodge of a creature with many different parts, like having bird talons for front legs, the back legs of a dog, the tail fin of a fish, and what looked like a mane of gray fur. The thing that stood out the most to them, however, was that the creature was wearing some sort of strange helmet, showing its steely-looking eyes.

"W-what is that?" Aika asked.

"I dunno," Luffy replied. "It looks...kinda freaky."

The creature growled at the Straw Hat Captain in annoyance.

"Hey, relax!" Luffy exclaimed. "It was a compliment!"

Aika reached her hand out to the creature, which seemed to flinch, slightly...until she gently began to pet its neck, causing it to purr contentedly. Luffy and Aika both smiled, the former also beginning to pet the creature. At that moment, Aika felt something around its neck, which caused her to feel around until she found a silver tag of some sort.

"What's this?" Aika asked. "Aether Foundation Project. Anti-UB Experiment. Type: Null."

"Type what?" Luffy asked. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"No clue," said Aika, "but I think Null is his name."

"Really?" Luffy asked. "Is your name Null?"

The creature, Null, seemed to nod its head.

"Huh," Luffy muttered in intrigue. "That's pretty cool for a name!"

All of the sudden, the creature seemed to tremble and groan in discomfort before collapsing on the ground, causing Luffy and Aika to gasp.

"Oh, no!" Aika cried. "Null, are you okay?!"

"Hey, say something!" Luffy shouted, worriedly, but Null did not respond.

"Big Brother, what do we do?!" Aika asked.

"We'll take him to Chopper," Luffy said as he picked Null up from the ground, and soon, the two D. Siblings turned and headed back to the _Sunny_.

 *****Short timeskip brought to you by Elias' human form (The Ancient Magus' Bride reference)*****

"...So anyone wanna tell me what Luffy brought to the ship, this time?" asked Sanji as Chopper gave Null a thorough checkup.

 _"What kind of creature is this, anyway?"_ Kumi asked as she stood next to Aika.

"We don't know," Aika replied.

"It almost looks like a dog," Nami said.

"I've never seen a dog with bird talons for front legs and a tail fin!" Usopp exclaimed. "Anyway, are we even safe near this thing?! What if it tries to attack us?!"

"We'll just put it in its place," said Zoro.

"That's your answer to everything, huh?" Nami asked with a deadpan tone.

"Still, I can't help thinking that this creature is not your everyday animal, even for the New World," said Jimbei. "Its helmet and its tag only brings up suspicions."

"Something about experiments and whatnot, right?" Brook asked. "Kind of reminds me of Punk Hazard."

"Please don't mention that place," Aika muttered with dread.

"Are you saying that Null here is some sort of man-made beast?" Franky inquired.

"Perhaps," Jimbei answered.

 _"What do you think, Chopper?"_ asked Blizzard.

"It's clear that...whatever this thing is is malnourished," Chopper replied as he finished his checkup. "And I can see why: why does it have this helmet on its head?!"

"No wonder the poor thing can't eat," said Carrot, sadly.

"How very cruel," said Jimbei. "How it lived for as long as it did is beyond me."

"Poor Null," Aika said as she pet the creature's neck.

"Can't you just try and take it off?" Nami asked.

"I can't," Chopper replied. "It looks like there's some kind of lock on it."

"Damn," Sanji cursed. "As weird as this thing looks, I could never stand to see some poor creature starve to death."

"Yeah, even I gotta feel sorry for it, now," said Usopp, regrettably.

Luffy stared at Null intensely...but then, without warning, he suddenly grabbed the helmet and began to pull on it from both sides.

"Huh?!" Chopper questioned. "Luffy, wait! What are you doing?!"

"Rrrrrgh!" Luffy growled from the exertion as he kept pulling on the helmet, and for some reason, Null didn't seem to be resisting. In fact, it looked like it was trying to help Luffy by grabbing at the back of its helmet with its talons. At that moment, the Straw Hats saw a crack beginning to form in the middle of the piece of headwear.

"Hey, look!" exclaimed Chopper.

"It's working!" Brook shouted.

 _"Keep going, Luffy!"_ Kumi exclaimed.

"I'll help, too!" Aika added as she began to pull, as well. "Just hang on, Null!"

Null growled as it tried to pull off the helmet, as well, its talons leaving large marks in the metal.

"Stand back," Jimbei spoke as he stepped forward, causing Luffy and Aika to back away before the Whale Shark Fishman held up his hand and then swiftly brought it down on Null's helmet...which broke apart completely!

"You did it!" Luffy exclaimed, only for him and the rest of the Straw Hats to stop and stare at the creature's true face.

It looked like a dog's face with a beak-like mouth, two pointy ears, and a large crest on its head. The fur around its neck had gone from that dull, dirty gray to a beautiful silvery-white color and it had these lively gray eyes.

"Whoa...!" Luffy whispered in awe.

"...Null?" Aika asked. "Is that really you?"

A pause...but then Null licked Aika on the face, causing her to laugh, then it went up and licked Luffy, who laughed as well.

"All right, all right, already!" Luffy exclaimed. "You're welcome!"

Then it went up to lick Jimbei, who chuckled a bit before petting it gently on its head.

"Wow...!" Nami whispered. "It looks...beautiful!"

"Yeah, who knew?" Usopp asked with a smile on his face.

"It just goes to show you how things have a hidden beauty inside of them," Robin smiled, but then, the moment was interrupted when Null's stomach started growling, causing it to whimper.

"Oh, yeah!" Luffy realized. "You're still hungry, right?"

"Don't worry," said Sanji as he put down a plate of food for Null. "I got you covered, big guy."

Before anyone could even blink, Null just dug right in, faster than Luffy would ever chomp on some meat.

"Wow, look at him go!" Luffy exclaimed.

"He must've been starving," Usopp added.

"Clearly," said Nami with an amused smile.

Soon, every last bit of food on the plate was gone, and Null lied on the bed while making a satisfied sigh.

 _"He looks better, already!"_ Kumi exclaimed, wagging her tail.

"I bet he feels better, too," said Franky.

Suddenly, they heard a knock on the door, causing the group to turn around and see a boy of at least 11 or 12 years with platinum blonde hair, wearing a black jumpsuit with a hood on it, and the jumpsuit itself seemed to have tears, revealing a red shirt underneath. His hair was tied back and was styled in corn rows, but he had some covering the right half of his face. His ears were pierce, and he had this steely look in his eyes.

"Can we help you?" Robin asked.

"Yeah, my name is Gladion," said the boy. "I'm looking for..." His eyes fell on Null before he gasped. "Null! You're okay!"

Before the Straw Hats even realized what happened, Null ran up to the boy before it affectionately tackled him to the floor and began to smother his face in licks, which caused him to laugh.

"Oh, Null," Gladion sighed as he hugged the creature. "I was really worried about you. Don't run off like that again!"

"Wait, Null belongs to you?" asked Aika.

"Yeah, I'm his trainer," said Gladion before he got a good look at Null. "Hey, wait...where's your helmet?"

"We took it off," said Luffy. "He couldn't eat because of it, so...yeah. It had to come off. Technically, though, it was Jimbei who got it off."

"You took it off?" asked Gladion. "...Thank you. I've been trying so hard to get the helmet off for him...but...I guess I wasn't strong enough." Then he looked at Null, who gave a reassuring purr as he nuzzled his nose against his face, which caused him to chuckle. "Aww, Null...you were never mad at me to begin with, huh?"

"You and Null seem pretty close," Nami said with a warm smile.

"Well, yeah," Gladion replied as he pet Null on his neck. "Artificial Pokemon or not, Null's still my best friend."

The Straw Hats, save for Jimbei and Carrot, gasped.

"...Did you say Pokemon?" Robin repeated.

"That's right," said Gladion. "Null here is an artificially made Pokemon, combined with different types of DNA. It was made by the Aether Foundation...for what, I don't exactly know. All I know is that the scientists were torturring it, so I had to break it out of the lab and I ran away with it...but sometime after, Null got away from me. I was looking for it ever since."

Null gave a soft wine as it nuzzled Gladion, who laughed as he hugged him.

"It's all right, Null," he said. "I'm not mad at you."

"Okay, back it up!" Usopp exclaimed. "I'm really confused here! I mean...laboratories?! Aether Foundation?! Artificial Pokemon?! What the hell gives?!"

"I'm a bit curious about that, too," Nami replied.

"It doesn't matter," Luffy said, causing everyone to glance at him. "What matters is that Null's got his helmet and he's happy, right?"

"...Yeah, I guess," Usopp smiled.

"Yeah," Nami agreed.

"Works out fine for me," Zoro shrugged.

"No complaints from me, either," Sanji added.

"Plus, he and Gladion are reunited, too!" Chopper piped up.

"It's...just so sweet, you know...?" Franky blubbered, comically. "I ain't cryin', you jerks!"

"...You know, it's weird," said Gladion. "I don't think you should be called 'Null', anymore, with this new look you got."

"I have an idea!" Aika chirped. "Let's call him Silvally!"

"...Silvally?" repeated Gladion.

"Well, his fur is kinda silvery, you know?" asked Aika.

"...You know?" Gladion asked. "I like it. What do you think...Silvally?"

Silvally gave out a jovial howl at this.

"It seems that he agrees," Jimbei smiled.

"Silvally it is," said Gladion before he looked to the Straw Hats. "Thanks for your help...I'm glad that Nu...I mean, Silvally found some kind people out there."

"You're pretty kind, too, Gladion," Robin said. "You knew that Silvally probably would've died if he stayed in that laboratory, so you got him out."

"...Yeah," Gladion smiled. "I guess I did, huh?"

Silvally gave him another lick on the cheek, causing him to laugh.

"All right, all right, we're going!" he said before he began to walk out with Silvally following after him. "Thanks, everybody!"

"Bye!" Luffy waved.

"Goodbye, Silvally!" Aika called. "Bye, Gladion!"

 _"What a nice pair,"_ Kumi smiled.

"I don't really know what happened," Zoro began, "but...good for them."

"Yeah, well," Sanji began with a yawn, "I don't know about any of you, but I'm ready to hit the sack."

"Me, too," Nami added.

"Same with us," said Chopper and Carrot, sleepily.

"I'm sleepy, too," Aika said as she and Kumi both yawned, which caused Luffy to chuckle as he picked them both up.

"Time for bed, you two," said Luffy as he carried them to their bedroom. As the Straw Hats prepared to head to their beds, as well, Jimbei held up Silvally's old tag while scratching his bear in curiosity, which got Robin's attention.

"Is something wrong, Jimbei?" asked Robin.

"Aether Foundation," Jimbei said. "I heard that's something like a sanctuary...so why would Gladion say things like making Silvally in a laboratories and conducting torturous experiments on it?"

"...That, I can't really say," Robin replied. "We might never know for sure."

"Perhaps," Jimbei concurred. "Still...the thought worries me a bit."

"...Me, too, Jimbei," Robin said. "Me, too..."

 **THE END...?**

* * *

Ta-dah! Bet you weren't expecting this, huh?


End file.
